Portable electronic ear-training apparatus and method therefor

• US 6,414,229 B1
• Filed: 06/21/2001
• Issued: 07/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samgo Innovations, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Samgo Innovations, Inc.
• Inventors: Gaudet, Samuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Donels, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US09/885,119
• Publication Number:
  US 20020073827A1
• Time in Patent Office: 376 Days
• Field of Search: 844/65--67, 844/70.R
• US Class Current: 84/465
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/04 with sound emitters

Abstract

A portable electronic device and method therefor provide a user with all the high quality synthesized instruments associated with a computer software ear-training method, along with some additional unique features. Such features include the provision of: an infinite number of randomly generated exercises; perfect pitch exercises; randomly generated, musically correct (mathematically calculated) chord progressions; full control of the level of difficulty of the exercises; testing capability, including correcting the answers given by the user; and a choice of 127 different MIDI instruments in this novel musical teaching aid. All of these features are provided in a portable, inexpensive, aesthetically pleasing device that can fit in the palm of one'"'"'s hand. The device of the present invention can be employed by any musician to practice any of the following musical exercises: recognizing notes, intervals, chords (triads and sevenths), scale degrees, chord progressions and melodic and harmonic dictation.

Claims

1. A portable electronic musical device comprising:

a housing;

a processor contained within said housing for providing randomly generated customizable interactive music ear-training exercises to a user;

input means connected to said processor and located on an exterior surface of said housing for receiving input selection by the user;

sound generating means connected to said processor for generating sounds to be used in said exercises;

display means located on an exterior surface of said housing for displaying musical exercise information; and

said processor providing perfect pitch exercises.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein said processor provides full control to the user over the level of difficulty of the exercises.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein said processor provides musical exercises selected from the group of:

recognizing notes, intervals, chords, scale degrees, chord progressions, melodic dictation, harmonic dictation, rhythmic dictation, chord identification, melodic intervals, and harmonic intervals.

6. The device according to claim 1, further comprising an electronic circuitboard contained within said housing and connected, at least, to said processor.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein said sound generating means comprises a musical instrument digital interface chip.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein said musical instrument digital interface chip provides a choice of 127 different MIDI instruments for the musical exercises.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein said sound generating means comprises an amplifier.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein said sound generating means comprises an earphone jack for outputting sound to a user.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein said input means comprises a keypad mounted on an exterior surface of said housing.

12. The device according to claim 6, wherein said input means comprises a keypad mounted on an exterior surface of said housing.

13. The device according to claim 12, further comprising a piggyback board connected to said keypad and to said electronic circuit board for interpreting selections input by the user.

14. The device according to claim 11, wherein said keypad comprises a plurality of buttons some or all of which can be used to perform more than one function.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein the functions of some or all of said buttons are determined automatically based on the context of the particular exercise being used.

16. The device according to claim 14, wherein some of said buttons are elliptical in shape.

17. The device according to claim 1, wherein said display means is a liquid crystal display.

18. The device according to claim 1, further comprising an ac-adapter plug connected at least to said processor and for further connection to an ac-power supply so as to facilitate power to said processor.

19. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a battery compartment having electrical contacts connected at least to said processor and for further connection to a battery power supply so as to facilitate power to the processor.

2. A portable electronic musical device comprising:

a housing;

a processor contained within said housing for providing randomly generated customizable interactive music ear-training exercises to a user;

input means connected to said processor and located on an exterior surface of said housing for receiving input selection by the user;

sound generating means connected to said processor for generating sounds to be used in said exercises;

display means located on an exterior surface of said housing for displaying musical exercise information; and

said processor providing randomly generated musically correct, mathematically calculated chord progressions.

4. A portable electronic musical device comprising:

a housing;

a processor contained within said housing for providing randomly generated customizable interactive music ear-training exercises to a user;

input means connected to said processor and located on an exterior surface of said housing for receiving input selection by the user;

sound generating means connected to said processor for generating sounds to be used in said exercises;

display means located on an exterior surface of said housing for displaying musical exercise information; and

said processor providing testing capability such that the device corrects answers given by the user via said input means.

20. A method for musically ear-training a user by way of a portable electronic musical device, which includes

a housing, a processor contained within said housing for providing randomly generated customizable interactive music ear-training exercises to the user, input means connected to said processor and located on an exterior surface of said housing for receiving input selection by the user, sound generating means connected to said processor for generating sounds to be used in said exercises, display means located on an exterior surface of said housing for displaying musical exercise information, said method comprising the steps of:

providing, by way of said processor a plurality of customizable interactive musical exercises for selection by the user;

receiving, by way of said input means, user-defined options related to a selected musical exercise;

playing the selected musical exercise on the apparatus by way of said sound generating means;

prompting the user, by way of said display means, for an answer to the musical exercise;

providing the correct answer to the musical exercise to the user by way of said display means; and

some or all of said musical exercises have at least one sub-menu which presents a plurality of options to the user relating to customization of a selected musical exercise.