Visual display for music generated via electric apparatus

• US 6,137,042 A
• Filed: 05/07/1998
• Issued: 10/24/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kurtzberg, Jerome M., Lew, John Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOCKETT, KIMBERLY R
• Application Number:
  US09/074,618
• Time in Patent Office: 901 Days
• Field of Search: 84/477 R, 84/464 R, 84/645, 84/623, 84/633, 84/634, 84/647, 84/672, 84/674, 84/477, 84/478, 84/464 A
• US Class Current: 84/477.00R
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/00 Teaching music metronomes G04F5/02
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0008 Associated control or indicating means

Abstract

A visual display is provide for music associated with a theremin or, in general, any space-controlled electric instrument. The theremin is a space-controlled electric instrument that produces an output of sound corresponding to the motion of the user, without being touched by the user. The device establishes a correspondence between motion and electric signals, then between such signals and either light and sound, or just light.

Claims

1. A visual display system for a space-controlled electrical apparatus, said apparatus generating sound based on a proximity of a user to said apparatus, said system comprising:

means for defining a predetermined relationship between a plurality of frequency bands and respective colors of light;

means for determining frequencies of sound signals output from said space-controlled electrical apparatus; and

a digital computer executing an application program which generates a visual display of light by correlating of sound signals determined by said determining means to said colors of light based on said relationship defined by said defining means.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said visual display means generates a visual display of light in real space and in real time.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said space-controlled electric apparatus is a theremin-type device having an antenna and a conducting loop, said theremin-type device generating sound frequencies based on a proximity of a user to said antenna and generating sound amplitude based on a proximity of said user to said conducting loop.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said application program receives said sound signals and determines intensities for said colors in said visual display based on an amplitude of said sound signals.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said application program receives said sound signals and determines saturation for each of said colors based on a concentration of sound signals correlated to each of said colors by said visual display means.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said application program displays said colors correlated to said frequencies of said sound signals in real time on a time-sliced basis.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said predetermined relationship defined by said defining means allocates said plurality of frequency bands among respective colors within an octave of light.

8. A method for controlling a visual display of lights in coordination with sound generated from a space-controlled electrical apparatus based on a proximity of a user to said apparatus, said method comprising:

defining a predetermined relationship between a plurality of frequency bands and respective colors of light;

determining frequencies of sound signals output from said space-controlled electrical apparatus; and

executing an application program which generates a visual display of light by correlating said frequencies of sound signals determined in said determining step to said colors of light based on said relationship defined in said defining step.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said executing step includes generating a visual display of light in real space and in real time.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said space-controlled electric apparatus is a theremin-type device having an antenna and a conducting loop, said theremin-type device generating sound frequencies based on a proximity of a user to said antenna and generating sound amplitude based on a proximity of said user to said conducting loop.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining intensities for said colors in said visual display based on an amplitude of said sound signals.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining saturation for each of said colors based on a concentration of sound signals correlated to each of said colors.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein said executing step includes displaying said colors correlated to said frequencies of said sound signals in real time on a time-sliced basis.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein said predetermined relationship defined by said defining means allocates said plurality of frequency bands among respective colors within an octave of light.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

displaying said visual display generated by said application program on a television.