Hand-held musical instrument and systems including a man-machine interface apparatus

• US 4,430,917 A
• Filed: 08/22/1979
• Issued: 02/14/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Peptek Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Peptek Incorporated
• Inventors: Pepper, William Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Witkowski, Stanley J.
• Application Number:
  US06/068,802
• Time in Patent Office: 1,637 Days
• Field of Search: 84/1.01, 84/1.24, 84/DIG. 7, 84/DIG. 1, 84/1.1, 84/1.27, 338/69, 340/365 C, 340/365 A
• US Class Current: 84/690
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/214 for locating contacts on a surface, e.g. floor mats or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/814 Musical performances, e.g. by evaluating the player's ability to follow a notation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/0004 using BRAILLE
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1068 being specially adapted to detect the point of contact of the player on a surface, e.g. floor mat, touch pad
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8047 Music games
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/055 by switches with variable impedance elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 84/07 Electric key switch structure

Abstract

A hand-held electronic musical instrument and system has a plurality of resistance elements that have adjacent thereto indentations or notches, or other tactile structures for locating discrete notes. Each resistance element is connected to a circuit for translating the position of the musician'"'"'s finger on the element into an electrical signal, the frequency of the signal corresponding to the position touched. Transducers convert the electrical signals into sounds, which are modified by an acoustic cavity within the instrument. At least one control panel is provided on a side of the instrument engaged by the thumb or thumbs of the musician, each control panel also being a one-dimensional touch panel with the control axis perpendicular to the long axis of the panel so that the musician'"'"'s thumb can slide along the panel parallel to the long axis without changing its position in the control axis. The musician controls the volume of the sound by adjusting the position of the thumb transverse to the instrument.

Claims

1. A musical instrument comprising a frame member, a plurality of one axis touch panel resistance elements on said frame member extending between at least two boundaries on said frame member,

an electronic circuit means connected to each of said resistance elements for locating points on said resistance elements through which points an electrical current passing through the body of the musician flows when touched by a finger of said musician and producing a signal corresponding to the pitch of a note to be played, and

means for sensing pressure exerted by said finger of a musician on each said resistance element and producing a signal corresponding to said pressure, said signal corresponding to pressure being utilized to give said musician simultaneous control over another musical characteristic of the note to be played in addition to the pitch.

2. The invention defined in claim 1 including at least one transducer means for producing a musical note when one of said resistance elements is touched by said finger of said musician.

3. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein each said resistance element is extended in

the direction of at least one further axis transverse to said one axis and said electronic circuit means has three or more connections to said resistance element and gives said musician simultaneous control over another musical characteristic of the note to be played in addition to pitch.

4. A musical instrument comprising a frame member, a plurality of one axis touch panel resistance elements on said frame member extending between at least two boundaries on said frame member,

an electronic circuit means connected to each of said resistance elements for locating points on said resistance elements through which points an electrical current passing through the body of the musician flows when touched by a finger of said musician and producing a signal corresponding to the pitch of a note to be played, said tactile means located at one or more selected points distributed along each said resistance element for conveying information, via the touching finger, to said musician,

tactile means including at least one ridge adjacent to each said resistance element, said ridge having a series of indentations therein

5. A musical instrument comprising a frame member, a plurality of one axis touch panel resistance elements on said frame member extending between at least two boundaries on said frame member,

an electronic circuit means connected to each of said resistance elements for locating points on said resistance elements through which points an electrical current passing through the body of the musician flows when touched by a finger of said musician and producing a signal corresponding to the pitch of a note to be played,

at least one further resistance element on said frame member, and circuit means connected to said at least one further resistance element for controlling, when touched by said musician, at least one musical characteristic of the note to be played other than the pitch,

said frame member having a pair of opposing surfaces, the first said resistance elements being located on one opposing surface and said one further resistance element being located on the other opposing surface, said one further resistance element being adapted to be engaged by the thumb of the musician when at least one finger of the musician is engaging at least one said resistance element,

second electronic circuit means connected to said one further resistance element for locating a point on said one further resistance element touched by said human thumb and producing a thumb control signal corresponding thereto,

and means whereby said thumb control signal can modify said musical note.

6. The invention defined in claim 5 including at least one acoustic cavity in said frame member coupled to said transducer means for modifying the timbre of said musical note.