Electronic stringed musical instrument

• US 6,191,350 B1
• Filed: 02/02/2000
• Issued: 02/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Guitron International, Inc. (Grand Entertainment & Music, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The Guitron Corporation
• Inventors: Paradis, Jean-Pierre, Fasano, Ubaldo, Okulov, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Nappi, Robert E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FLETCHER, MARLON T
• Application Number:
  US09/496,040
• Time in Patent Office: 384 Days
• Field of Search: 846/00--06, 846/46, 847/23--26, 847/30--31, 847/37--38, 84D/IG.24
• US Class Current: 84/646
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0008 Associated control or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/342 for guitar-like instruments with or without strings and with a neck on which switches or string-fret contacts are used to detect the notes being played electric guitars in which the tones are generated by the vibration of strings G10H3/18
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/386 One-finger or one-key chord systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/301 Fret-like switch array arrangements for guitar necks
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/475 on the side, i.e. picking up vibrations from a side of the bridge
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/485 One transducer per string, e.g. 6 transducers for a 6 string guitar
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/525 Piezoelectric transducers for vibration sensing or vibration excitation in the audio range; Piezoelectric strain sensing, e.g. as key velocity sensor; Piezoelectric actuators, e.g. key actuation in response to a control voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/311 MIDI transmission G10H2240/056 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 3/18 using a string, e.g. electric guitar mechanical features G10D1/085
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 3/185 in which the tones are picked up through the bridge structure
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 3/26 using electric feedback

Abstract

A guitar is disclosed which is adapted for use with a battery power source and having a CPU and a memory including preprogrammed chord tables and melody tables. The guitar provides electro conductive strings and frets and a system for recognizing finger positioning by a user. The vibration of the strings is picked up by piezo elements and amplified. By making use of the piezo elements the intensity of the vibration by its velocity can be preserved and the envelope of sound for a note/chord remain commensurate with the intensity intended by the user.

Claims

1. A musical instrument, comprising:

an instrument body having strings mounted thereon;

string vibration sensing means for sensing vibration of said strings and creating an envelope of vibration of said strings;

a central processing unit;

an elongate fingerboard having a finger position recognition system for recognizing finger position;

memory means for storing preprogrammed notes and chords;

output means for transmitting vibration information from said memory means;

circuit means connected to said output means, said string vibration sensing means, said central processing unit, said finger recognition system and said memory means for determining said envelope of vibration of said strings whereby note or chord intensity intended by a user is conveyed to transducer means; and

analyzing means in said circuit means for analyzing string vibration for string velocity, status and sequence of notes played.

2. The musical instrument as set forth in claim 1, wherein said instrument body comprises a solid body guitar.

3. The musical instrument as set forth in claim 1, wherein said instrument body comprises a body with a sound board.

4. The musical instrument as set forth in claim 3, wherein said sound board is made of wood.

5. The musical instrument as set forth in claim 1, wherein said instrument body comprises an acoustic guitar.

6. The musical instrument as set forth in claim 1, wherein said instrument body comprises a classical guitar.

7. The musical instrument as set forth in claim 1, wherein said st ring vibration sensing means comprises piezo activated pick ups.

8. The musical instrument as set forth in claim 1, wherein said string vibration sensing means comprises optically activated pick ups.

9. The musical instrument as set forth in claim 1, wherein said string vibration sensing means comprises magnetically activated pick ups.

10. The musical instrument as set forth in claim 3, wherein said output means comprises an element selected from the group consisting of a piezo element, an audio speaker, external amplifier, headphones or an actuator connected to said sound board.

11. The musical instrument as set forth in claim 1, wherein said elongate fingerboard includes individual frets for sensing the position of a user'"'"'s finger.

12. The musical instrument as set forth in claim 11, wherein said frets are wired frets.

13. The musical instrument as set forth in claim 11, wherein each fret has isolated segments corresponding to a string or group thereof.

14. The musical instrument as set forth in claim 1, wherein said strings are electro conductive.

15. The musical instrument as set forth in claim 1, wherein said instrument includes a self contained battery system.

16. The musical instrument as set forth in claim 2, wherein said guitar includes a neck, said neck having visual display means for displaying chords, notes or a root string to a user.

17. A guitar, comprising:

a body and fret board;

a plurality of electro conductive frets mounted to said fret board;

a plurality of electro conductive strings;

a string vibration sensing means for sensing vibration of said strings;

a central processing unit and memory means for storing preprogrammed chords or notes;

output means including a soundboard with at least one piezo electric activator means secured thereto;

circuit means connected to said string vibration sensing means, frets and said strings means for determining the position of user'"'"'s finger on said fret board and accessing said memory means for a preprogrammed note or chord; and

analyzing means in said circuit means for analyzing string vibration, string velocity, status and sequence of notes played for determining an envelope of vibration of said strings whereby note intensity and chord note sequence intended by a user is conveyed to said output means by playing notes from said memory means.

18. The guitar as set forth in claim 17, wherein said guitar has a neck, said neck having visual display means for at least one of said frets or strings for indicating finger position on said fret board.

19. The guitar as set forth in claim 18, wherein said display comprises one of an LCD, LED or an electro luminescent display.

20. The guitar as set forth in claim 18, wherein each fret and string includes said display means.

21. The guitar as set forth in claim 17, wherein said strings are mounted to a bridge, said bridge mounted adjacent a sound board.

22. The guitar as set forth in claim 21, further including bridge movement means for selectively moving said bridge relative to said sound board to reduce string vibration sensing.

23. The guitar as set forth in claim 22, wherein said bridge movement means includes a strut member mounted to said bridge and a deformable arm mounted to said strut member.

24. The guitar as set forth in claim 23, wherein said deformable arm is mounted internally of said body of said guitar for resilient deformation.

25. A method of electronically generating sound from a guitar, comprising the steps of:

providing a guitar including;

signal pick ups and a fret board;

memory means having sampled chords, notes or a chord map;

electro conductive strings and frets on said guitar; and

finger position recognition means for recognizing finger positioning on said fret board;

analyzing string vibration for string velocity, status and sequence of notes played;

comparing said notes played with notes in said memory means;

determining said status and velocity of said strings;

forming a signal based on determined velocity and compared notes;

transmitting said signal to an output for audible execution of said signal.

26. The method as set forth in claim 25, wherein an envelope of said notes are formed by said determined velocity.

27. The method as set forth in claim 25, including forming a chord by activation of said electro conductive frets by at least one of said strings.

28. The method as set forth in claim 25, wherein said step of forming a signal includes amplifying said signal with amplifier means.

29. A musical instrument, comprising:

an instrument body having electro conductive strings mounted thereon and a sound board mounted thereto;

string vibration sensing means for sensing vibration of said strings and creating an envelope of vibration of said strings,

a central processing unit;

transducer means for transmitting vibration information from said string vibration sensing means to an output means;

a fret board having a plurality of electro conductive frets;

memory means for storing preprogrammed notes and chords;

fret board switching means for determining the position of a user'"'"'s finger on said fret board and accessing said memory means for a preprogrammed note or chord; and

circuit means connected to said transducer means and said fret board for determining the envelope of vibration of said strings whereby note or chord intensity intended by a user is conveyed to said transducer means said circuit means including ON/OFF signal analysis means for determining whether a string has been plucked, said signal analysis means comprising a rectified envelope of string vibration, said envelope of said vibration being processed by a low pass filter and diferentiator for producing said ON/OFF signal for a note and velocity of said note.

30. The musical instrument as set forth in claim 29, wherein said string vibration sensing means comprises a piezo-electric pick-up saddle.