Electronic musical instrument

• US 6,005,181 A
• Filed: 04/07/1998
• Issued: 12/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Interval Research Corporation
• Inventors: Adams, Robert L., Brook, Michael, Eichenseer, John, Goldstein, Mark, Smith, Geoff
• Primary Examiner(s): Donels, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US09/056,388
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• Field of Search: 84/734, 84/735, 84/737
• US Class Current: 84/734
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0558 using variable resistors
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/34 Switch arrangements, e.g. keyboards or mechanical switches specially adapted for electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/561 Piezoresistive transducers, i.e. exhibiting vibration, pressure, force or movement -dependent resistance, e.g. strain gauges, carbon-doped elastomers or polymers for piezoresistive drumpads, carbon microphones
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/335 Spint cyldrum [cylindrical body hit or struck on the curved surface for musical purposes, e.g. drinking glass, oil drum]
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/056 MIDI or other note-oriented file format
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/311 MIDI transmission G10H2240/056 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/461 Gensound wind instruments, i.e. generating or synthesising the sound of a wind instrument, controlling specific features of said sound spint wind instruments G10H2230/155; mouth or breath sensors G10H2220/361; natural aerodynamic noise synthesis, e.g. wind G10H2250/431

Abstract

A control instrument for a system for generating acoustic output which includes a processor for receiving user input signals and control the acoustic output in response to the user input signals. The control instrument includes an instrument body, and at least one sensor element carried by the instrument body. The sensor element generates user input signals upon tactile actuation of the sensor element by a user. The user input signals indicate the location of contact and amount of force applied to the sensor element by the user. A music synthesis system and a sound processing system each including the control instrument are also provided.

Claims

1. A control instrument for a system for generating acoustic output, the system including a processor for receiving user input signals and controlling the acoustic output in response to the user input signals, the control instrument comprising:

an instrument body;

a first sensor element carried by the instrument body, the first sensor element generating first user input signals upon tactile actuation of the first sensor element by a user, the first user input signals indicating the locations at which the first sensor element is contacted and the amount of force applied to the first sensor element by the user at a plurality of intervals during the tactile actuation of the first sensor element; and

a second sensor element carried by the instrument body, the second sensor element generating second input signals upon tactile actuation of the second sensor element by the user, the second user input signals indicating the locations at which the second sensor element is contacted at the plurality of intervals;

wherein the first and second sensors are independently position sensitive to tactile actuation.

2. The control instrument of claim 1 in which the instrument body includes ain elongate rod.

3. The control instrument of claim 1 in which the first sensor element is a force sensitive resistor.

4. The control instrument of claim 2, wherein the first and second sensor elements are linearly arranged on the elongate rod.

5. The control instrument of claim 4 in which the secondary sensor element is a drum sensor.

6. The control instrument of claim 4 in which the secondary sensor element is an accelerometer.

7. The control instrument of claim 1, further including a signal mapper that maps the user input signals produced by the first and second sensor elements into music synthesis control parameters for use by a music synthesizer.

8. The control instrument of claim 7 in which the signal mapper maps at least one of the first user input signals produced by the first sensor element into a plurality of different music synthesis control parameters.

9. The control instrument of claim 1 in which the instrument body is an elongate rod.

10. The control instrument of claim 1 wherein the user input signals are periodically updated so as to track changes in the tactile actuation of the first and second sensor elements.

11. A control instrument for a system for generating acoustic output, the system including a processor for receiving user input signals and controlling the acoustic output in response to the user input signals, the control instrument comprising:

an instrument body;

a first sensor element carried by the instrument body, the first element generating first user input signals upon tactile actuation of the first sensor element by a user, the first user input signals indicating the locations at which the first sensor element is contacted and the amount of force applied to the first sensor element by the user at a plurality of intervals during the tactile actuation of the first sensor element; and

a second sensor element carried by the instrument body, the second sensor element generating second input signals upon striking of the instrument body by the user with at least a predetermined amount of force.

12. A control instrument for a system for generating acoustic output, the system including a processor for receiving user input signals and controlling the acoustic output in response to the user input signals, said control instrument comprising:

an instrument body comprising an elongate rod; and

first and second sensor elements carried by and linearly aligned on the instrument body, the first and second sensor elements generating user input signals upon actuation thereof by a user, each of the user input signals indicating at least one respective physical characteristic of actuation of a respective one of the first and second sensor elements at a plurality of intervals during the actuation of the first and second sensor elements;

wherein the user input signals generated by the first and second sensor elements are periodically updated so as to track changes in the actuation of the first and second sensor elements.

13. A sound processing system comprising:

a control instrument including an instrument body and first and second sensor elements carried by the instrument body, each of the first and second sensor elements generating respective, distinct user input signals upon tactile actuation of the respective sensor elements by a user, the user input signals indicating respective locations at which the respective sensor elements are contacted and amount of force applied to the respective sensor elements by the user at a plurality of intervals during the tactile actuation of the respective sensor elements;

wherein the first and second sensor elements are independently sensitive to tactile actuation;

a processor coupled to the sensor element for receiving the user input signals and producing control signals;

an audio source; and

a signal processor coupled to the processor and the audio source for receiving the input from the audio source and the control signals and generating audible output signals in response to the control signals.

14. The sound processing system of claim 13, wherein the control instrument includes an elongate rod and the first and second sensor elements are linearly arranged on the elongate rod.

15. A sound processing system comprising:

a control instrument including an instrument body and first and second sensor elements carried by the instrument body, each of the first and second sensor elements generating respective, distinct user input signals upon tactile actuation of the respective sensor elements by a user, the user input signals indicating the respective locations at which the respective sensor elements are contacted by the user at a plurality of intervals during the tactile actuation of the respective sensor elements;

wherein the first and second sensor elements are independently sensitive to tactile actuation;

a processor coupled to the sensor element for receiving the user input signals and producing control signals;

an audio source; and

a signal processor coupled to the processor and the audio source for receiving the input from the audio source and the control signals and generating audible output signals in response to the control signals.

16. The sound processing system of claim 15, wherein the control instrument includes an elongate rod and the first and second sensor elements are linearly arranged on the elongate rod.

17. The sound processing system of claim 15, wherein the user input signals are periodically updated so as to track changes in the tactile actuation of the first and second sensor elements.

18. A control instrument for a system for generating acoustic output, the system including a processor for receiving user input signals and controlling the acoustic output in response to the user input signals, the control instrument comprising:

an instrument body;

a first sensor element carried by the instrument body, the first sensor element generating first user input signals upon tactile actuation of the first sensor element by a user, the first user input signals indicating the locations at which the first sensor element is contacted and the amount of force applied to the first sensor element by the user at a plurality of intervals during the tactile actuation of the first sensor element; and

a second sensor element carried by the instrument body, the second sensor element generating second input signals upon tactile actuation of the second sensor element by the user, the second user input signals indicating the amount of force applied to the second sensor element at the plurality of intervals;

wherein the first and second sensors are independently sensitive to tactile actuation.

19. The control instrument of claim 18 in which the instrument body includes an elongate rod.

20. The control instrument of claim 19, wherein the first and second sensor elements are linearly arranged on the elongate rod.

21. The control instrument of claim 20 in which the secondary sensor element is a drum sensor.

22. The control instrument of claim 20 in which the secondary sensor element is an accelerometer.

23. The control instrument of claim 18 in which the first sensor element is a force sensitive resistor.

24. The control instrument of claim 18, further including a signal mapper that maps the user input signals produced by the first and second sensor elements into music synthesis control parameters for use by a music synthesizer.

25. The control instrument of claim 24 in which the signal mapper maps at least one of the first user input signals produced by the first sensor element into a plurality of different music synthesis control parameters.

26. The control instrument of claim 18 in which the instrument body is an elongate rod.

27. The control instrument of claim 18 wherein the user input signals are periodically updated so as to track changes in the tactile actuation of the first and second sensor elements.