ROW DIVISION OPTICAL MODULE AND ELECTRONIC KEYBOARD USING SAME

• US 20170278499A1
• Filed: 08/22/2015
• Published: 09/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Moon Key Lee
• Original Assignee: Moon Key Lee
• Inventors: Lee, Moon Key
• Granted Patent: US 10,199,025 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/41 Refractivity; Phase-affecting properties, e.g. optical path length G01N21/21 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0816 by means of one or more reflecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/045 Prism arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/12 Reflex reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G10C 3/12 Keyboards; Keys
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0553 using optical or light-responsive means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/34 Switch arrangements, e.g. keyboards or mechanical switches specially adapted for electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/344 Structural association with individual keys electrically operated wind-actuated organs G10B3/22
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/305 using a light beam to detect key, pedal or note actuation light beams in general G10H2220/411
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/455 Camera input, e.g. analyzing pictures from a video camera and using the analysis results as control data

Abstract

An electronic keyboard using a camera, and more particularly, to an electronic keyboard using a camera, which includes a retroreflective film, a light source for irradiating light on to the retroreflective film, a camera for capturing light of a light source retroreflected from the retroreflective film, and an image processing means that analyzes the captured image to track the position of the reflected light source, to find a depressed state of the keyboard, and to generate a sound of an instrument corresponding to the depressed state.

Claims

1. A row division optical module comprising:

a first optical portion for refracting, reflecting, or diffracting light incident from a right side to a front side; and

a second optical portion for refracting, reflecting, or diffracting light incident from a left side to the front side,

wherein the first and second optical portions are vertically arranged with the first optical portion being located higher (upper) or lower than the second optical portion.

2. The row division optical module of claim 1, further comprising:

a third optical portion for refracting, reflecting, or diffracting the incident light downward; and

a fourth optical portion for refracting, reflecting, or diffracting the incident light upward,

wherein the third optical portion is positioned in front of the optical portion located higher from among the first and second optical portions and the fourth optical portion is positioned in front of the optical portion located lower from among the first and second optical portions.

3. The row division optical module of claim 1, further comprising:

a fifth optical portion for refracting, reflecting, or diffracting the incident light upward; and

a sixth optical portion for refracting, reflecting, or diffracting the incident light downward,

wherein the fifth optical portion is positioned behind of the optical portion located higher from among the first and second optical portions and the sixth optical portion is positioned behind of the optical portion located lower from among the first or second optical portions.

4. The row division optical module of claim 1, wherein a blank space is formed between the first optical portion and the second optical portion.

5. The row division optical module of claim 1, wherein each optical portion comprises one of a prism, a prism sheet, a hologram, or a mirror.

6. An electronic keyboard device comprising:

a plurality of keys longitudinally arranged in left and right directions;

a camera including a row division optical module for capturing an image of the keys by dividing the keys into a plurality of rows; and

an image processing means for detecting the movement of the keys in the image captured by the camera and outputting a musical instrument sound or a midi signal corresponding to the movement of the keys detected.

7. The electronic keyboard device of claim 6, wherein the row division optical module includes a first optical portion for refracting, reflecting, or diffracting light incident from the right side toward the camera side, and a second optical portion for refracting, reflecting, or diffracting the light incident from the left side toward the camera, wherein the first and second optical portions are vertically arranged.

8. The electronic keyboard device of claim 7, wherein the row division optical module further includes a third optical portion for refracting, reflecting or diffracting the incident light downward, and a fourth optical portion for refracting, reflecting, or diffracting the incident light upward,

wherein the third optical portion is positioned in front of the optical portion located higher from among the first and second optical portions and the fourth optical portion is positioned in front of the optical portion located lower from among the first or second optical portions.

9. The electronic keyboard device of claim 7, wherein the row division optical module further includes a fifth optical portion for refracting, reflecting, or diffracting the incident light upward, and a sixth optical portion for refracting, reflecting, or diffracting the incident light downward,

wherein the fifth optical module is positioned behind of the optical portion located higher from among the first and second optical portions and the sixth optical module is positioned behind of the optical portion located lower from among the first and second optical portions.

10. The electronic keyboard device of claim 7, including an empty space between the first optical portion and the second optical portion.

11. The electronic keyboard device of claim 7, wherein the row division optical module includes a prism, a prism sheet, a hologram, or a mirror.

12. The electronic keyboard device of claim 6, wherein

the keys include a mark, and the image processing means detects the mark on the captured image to find the movement of the keys.

13. The electronic keyboard device of claim 12, wherein the mark is a retroreflecting means, and

the camera includes a light source for irradiating light to the retroreflecting means.

14. The electronic keyboard device of claim 6, wherein the image processing means adjusts the light source or the camera to operate in a power saving mode when the key is not moved for a predetermined time or longer.

15. The electronic keyboard device of claim 6, wherein in an image captured with the camera, an interval between a reference key and a key adjacent to it is different from an interval between keys in a normal position.

16. The electronic keyboard device of claim 6, wherein in an image captured by the camera, a reference key is different in shape, size, or color from a normal key.

17. The electronic keyboard device of claim 6, wherein the keyboard has an L shaped bar attached to the bottom of the keyboard,

the camera is located beneath the keyboard and captures an image of the bar,

and the image processing means detects the motion of the bar on the captured image and outputs a musical instrument sound or a musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) signal.

18. The electronic keyboard device of claim 6, wherein

the keyboard includes a right angle prism or mirror at the end, and

the camera captures the movement of the keys through the prism or mirror by being positioned below or above the keyboard.

19. The electronic keyboard device of claim 6, wherein the image processing means outputs a musical instrument sound or a MIDI signal in proportion to speed of the key or the depressed depth of the key.

20. The electronic keyboard device of claim 17, wherein the bar is arranged on a concave curve having a center on the camera side.