Electronic musical instrument with direct translation between symbols, fingers and sensor areas
First Claim
1. A system for controlling a sound generation means to play desired music, comprising:
- an array of at least two sensor means responsive to activation by the fingers of a user'"'"'s hands, each sensor means being responsive to fingering operations for generating an output signal having at least two states per said sensor means, each sensor means positioned for activation by one particular finger of the user, each output of each sensor means being associated with a corresponding binary digit of a digital code, each of a plurality of said digital codes representing a different chord to be sounded by said sound generation means, such that no individual musical note is associated with any one of said sensor means, any one digit of said digital code thus having musical significance only in combination with other digits of said code;
instruction means for visually conveying to a user a succession of combinations of desired fingering operations required for selectively activating said sensor means to play the desired music and for instructing the user as to which combination of fingers to use at any one time, said instruction means comprising a succession of instruction sets for reference at respective successive instants in time, each instruction set having a plurality of graphic symbols positioned therein, the same symbol position in each successive set being mapped into physical one-to-one correspondence with the same respective said sensor means, each said symbol position having a graphic symbol located therein having at least first and second states, whereby a first of said sensor means is exclusively activated by a first finger of the user exclusively in response to the state of the symbol in a first position of each of said successive sets and a second of said sensor means is exclusively activated by a second finger of the user exclusively in response to the state of the symbol in a second position of each of said successive sets; and
decoding means receiving the states of said plurality of sensor means and responsive thereto for generating control signals for supply to said sound generation means.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A new electronic musical instrument and an associated notational method are disclosed. The new musical instrument is played using the right hand for depression of keys, as in conventional instruments, and also by applying finger pressure onto special sensing areas using the left hand. The left hand sensing areas or keys are located so as to be accessed without any significant lateral movement of the left hand. "Instructions" for playing the new instrument are conveyed to the user via directly translatable notational symbols printed on an associated surface. This cooperating system removes the mental translational and physical movement problems of conventional notation and conventional instruments by having the notational method directly convey the physical actions that are required and by simplifying the physical actions themselves. Such a cooperative system allows users to quickly play this instrument at advanced levels.
80 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A system for controlling a sound generation means to play desired music, comprising:
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an array of at least two sensor means responsive to activation by the fingers of a user'"'"'s hands, each sensor means being responsive to fingering operations for generating an output signal having at least two states per said sensor means, each sensor means positioned for activation by one particular finger of the user, each output of each sensor means being associated with a corresponding binary digit of a digital code, each of a plurality of said digital codes representing a different chord to be sounded by said sound generation means, such that no individual musical note is associated with any one of said sensor means, any one digit of said digital code thus having musical significance only in combination with other digits of said code; instruction means for visually conveying to a user a succession of combinations of desired fingering operations required for selectively activating said sensor means to play the desired music and for instructing the user as to which combination of fingers to use at any one time, said instruction means comprising a succession of instruction sets for reference at respective successive instants in time, each instruction set having a plurality of graphic symbols positioned therein, the same symbol position in each successive set being mapped into physical one-to-one correspondence with the same respective said sensor means, each said symbol position having a graphic symbol located therein having at least first and second states, whereby a first of said sensor means is exclusively activated by a first finger of the user exclusively in response to the state of the symbol in a first position of each of said successive sets and a second of said sensor means is exclusively activated by a second finger of the user exclusively in response to the state of the symbol in a second position of each of said successive sets; and decoding means receiving the states of said plurality of sensor means and responsive thereto for generating control signals for supply to said sound generation means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A system for controlling a sound generation means, comprising:
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an array of four or more sensor means, each having a common width, each said sensor means being responsive to activation by the fingers of a user'"'"'s hands, the sensor means being arranged adjacent one another such that they may be accessed without lateral hand movement by the user in excess of said width in either lateral direction, each sensor means being positioned for activation by one particular finger of the user; instruction means for visually conveying to the user a succession of instructions for generating desired sounds by selective activation of said sensor means, said instructions representing a succession of different desired fingering operations and instructing the user as to which combination of fingers to use in each of said succession of fingering operations, said instruction means comprising a succession of instruction sets, each instruction set having a plurality of graphic symbols each in an assigned position within said set, the same symbol position in each set being mapped into physical one-to-one correspondence with a respective said sensor means and having at least first and second states, whereby a first of said sensor means is exclusively activated by a first finger of the user exclusively in response to the state of a first of said symbols and a second of said sensor means is exclusively activated by a second finger of the user exclusively in response to the state of a second of said symbols; and decoding means receiving said states and responsive thereto for generating control signals for supply to said sound generation means. - View Dependent Claims (5)
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6. An electronic musical instrument comprising:
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at least four first key means, each for generating a respective first key signal when depressed; a plurality of second keys, each for generating a second key signal when depressed; notational means comprising a series of symbol sets, each symbol set having four symbol positions, each position being occupied by a respective one of four adjacent geometric symbols, the same respective one of said first key means being assigned to the same symbol position for each set of said series in the sense that the geometric symbol in the same selected one of the four positions directs whether or not the corresponding first key means is actuated at any one time, each symbol thus having two states, there thus being a one-to-one correspondence between said geometric symbols and said first key means; and means responsive to said first key signals for sounding one of a group of selected musical events. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An electronic musical instrument comprising:
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a plurality of first key means, each for generating a first key signal when depressed; a plurality of second keys, each for generating a second key signal when depressed; notational means having a plurality of graphic symbols equal in number to the number of first key means, with one symbol corresponding to a respective one of said first key means in the sense that the symbol directs whether or not the corresponding first key means is actuated at any one time, each symbol thus having two states, there thus being a one-to-one correspondence between said symbols and said plurality of first key means; and means responsive to said first key signals for sounding one of a group of selected chords, there being at least 2n-1 chords in said group, where n is the number of said first key means. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An electronic musical instrument comprising:
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a first key set of six keys, each said key having three sensor areas thereon, each sensor area for generating a respective first key signal when depressed; a plurality of second keys, each for generating a respective second key signal when depressed; notational means for instructing the user as to the music to be played on said instrument by selective actuation of said six keys, said notational means comprising a series of sets of visually perceivable graphic symbols, each set having three rows of six said symbols, with the same symbol position in each of said sets being mapped into a one-to-one correspondence with the same respective sensor area of the first key set in the sense that the symbol directs whether or not the corresponding sensor area is to be actuated at any one time, each symbol thus having two states, there thus being a one-to-one correspondence between symbols and sensor areas; means responsive to said first key signals for sounding one of a plurality of selected chords; and means responsive to said second key signals for causing each of said second keys, when depressed, to play a selected note. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method for activating a sound generation means to play desired music, comprising:
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arraying a plurality of sensor means, each sensor means being responsive to activation by the fingers of a user'"'"'s hands, each sensor means further being responsive to fingering operations for generating an output having at least two states per said sensor means, each sensor means positioned for activation by one particular finger of the user; providing a set of instructions for visually conveying to a user desired fingering operations required for playing the desired music and for instructing the user as to which combination of fingers to use at any one time, said instructions comprising a plurality of successive sets of graphic symbols, the same symbol position in each set being mapped into physical one-to-one correspondence with the same respective said sensor means and having at least first and second states; activating a first of said sensor means exclusively by a first finger of the user exclusively in response to the state of a first of said graphic symbols; and activating a second of said sensor means exclusively by a second finger of the user exclusively in response to the state of a second of said symbols. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32)
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33. Apparatus for controlling a sound generation means comprising:
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a plurality of first key means, each for generating a first key signal when depressed; a plurality of second keys, each for generating a second key signal when depressed; notational means having a plurality of graphic symbols equal in number to the number of first key means, with one symbol corresponding to a respective one of said first key means in the sense that the symbol directs whether or not the corresponding first key means is actuated at any one time, each symbol thus having two states, there thus being a one-to-one correspondence between said symbols and said plurality of first key means; and means responsive to said first key signals for selecting one of a group of chords for play, there being at least 2n -1 chords in said group, where n is the number of said first key means.
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Specification