Musical computer keyboard apparatus and method

• US 6,444,888 B1
• Filed: 03/23/2001
• Issued: 09/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dean Vandruff
• Original Assignee: Dean Vandruff
• Inventors: VanDruff, Dean
• Primary Examiner(s): Fletcher, Marlon T.
• Application Number:
  US09/816,939
• Publication Number:
  US 20020134218A1
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• Field of Search: 846/00, 846/09, 846/15, 846/45, 846/49, 846/53, 847/19--20, 847/44--45, 84/18, 84/20, 84/25, 844/23.R, 844/24, 844/33, 844/42, 844/46
• US Class Current: 84/609
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/20 for transposition
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/34 Switch arrangements, e.g. keyboards or mechanical switches specially adapted for electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/231 Alphanumeric, used for musical purposes or with additional musical features, e.g. typewriter or pc-type keyboard reconfigured such that letters or symbols are assigned to musical notes
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/275 Musical interface to a personal computer PCI bus, "peripheral component interconnect bus"

Abstract

An apparatus and method to change the mode of computer keyboard use from alpha-numeric language orientation to become a musical input keyboard where the keys change meaning for this purpose is provided. The apparatus and method implements a unique musical mapping for a standard computer keyboard such that the musical notes that are most often used in musical composition are mapped to keys of a home row of the standard keyboard. Musical notes that are the next most often utilized in musical composition are mapped to keys in the rows above and below the home row. All other musical notes are mapped based on their relative probability of being used in combination with the notes mapped in the home row and the rows above and below the home row.

Claims

1. A method of outputting musical notes with a computer keyboard, comprising:

mapping keys of the computer keyboard to musical notes;

identifying an actuation of at least one key of the standard computer keyboard; and

outputting a musical note based on the at least one key that is actuated and the mapping of the keys, wherein the step of mapping keys includes mapping keys such that musical notes that are most often played in musical compositions are mapped to keys in a home row of the computer keyboard, and wherein a pattern of the mapped keys completes a musical octave in three keys horizontally and four keys vertically, wherein the pattern repeats itself across the computer keyboard two or more times.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of mapping keys further includes mapping keys such that musical notes that are second most often to be played in musical compositions arc mapped to keys adjacent to the home row.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein mapping of other musical notes that are not most often played in musical compositions, is performed based on a relative probability that the other musical notes will be played in conjunction with the musical notes that are most often played in musical compositions.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising mapping one or more peripheral or function keys to the keys of computer keyboard, wherein the peripheral or function keys are used to initiate a change in the musical note that is output.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more function keys include at least one of a treble octave up key, a treble octave down key, a bass octave up key, a bass octave down key, all octave up key, all octave down key, a musical Key change key, patch sound key, stack sound key, a chorus key, a reverb key, a sustain key, a start/stop recordation key, a volume up/down key, and a mute key.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is implemented in a stand-alone computer keyboard.

7. A method of outputting musical notes with a computer keyboard, comprising:

mapping keys of the computer keyboard to musical notes;

identifying an actuation of at least one key of the standard computer keyboard; and

outputting a musical note based on the at least one key that is actuated and the mapping of the keys, wherein the step of mapping keys includes mapping keys such that musical notes that are most often played in musical compositions are mapped to keys in a home row of the computer keyboard, wherein the mapping of musical notes in the home row includes the Diatonic note I (do) and at least one of the musical notes iii (mi) or V (sol), and wherein a pattern of the mapped keys completes a musical octave in three keys horizontally and four keys vertically, wherein the pattern repeats itself across the computer keyboard two or more times.

8. An apparatus for outputting musical notes with a computer keyboard, comprising:

a keyboard having a plurality of actuatable keys;

a processor coupled to the keyboard; and

an audio output device coupled to the processor, wherein the processor identifies an actuation of at least one key of the plurality of keys, maps the at least one key of the computer keyboard to a musical note, and instructs the audio output device to output the musical note, wherein the processor maps the at least one key using a musical mapping wherein musical notes that are most often to be played in musical compositions are mapped to the home row of the computer keyboard, and wherein a pattern of the mapped keys completes a musical octave in three keys horizontally and four keys vertically, wherein the pattern repeats itself across the computer keyboard two or more times.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the musical mapping further includes mapping keys such that musical notes that are second most often to be played in musical compositions are mapped to keys in one of a row above the home row and a row below the home row.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein mapping of other musical notes that are not most often played in musical compositions, is performed based on a relative probability that the other musical notes will be played in conjunction with the musical notes that are most often played in musical compositions.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the musical mapping maps one or more function keys to the keys of computer keyboard, wherein the function keys are used to initiate a change in the musical note that is output.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more function keys include at least one of a treble octave up key, a treble octave down key, a bass octave up key, a bass octave down key, all octave up key, all octave down key, a musical Key change key, patch sound key, stack sound key, a chorus key, a reverb key, a sustain key, a start/stop recordation key, a volume up/down key, and a mute key.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is a stand-alone computer keyboard.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is distributed between a computer keyboard and a computing device.

15. An apparatus for outputting musical notes with a computer keyboard, comprising:

a keyboard having a plurality of actuatable keys;

a processor coupled to the keyboard; and

an audio output device coupled to the processor, wherein the processor identifies an actuation of at least one key of the plurality of keys, maps the at least one key of the computer keyboard to a musical note, and instructs the audio output device to output the musical note, wherein the processor maps the at least one key using a musical mapping wherein musical notes that are most often to be played in musical compositions are mapped to the home row of the computer keyboard, wherein the mapping of musical notes in the home row includes the Diatonic note I (do) and at least one of the musical notes iii (mi) or V (sol), and wherein a pattern of the mapped keys completes a musical octave in three keys horizontally and four keys vertically, wherein the pattern repeats itself across the computer keyboard two or more times.

16. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for outputting musical notes with a computer keyboard, comprising:

first instructions for identifying an actuation of at least one key of the computer keyboard;

second instructions for mapping the at least one key of the computer keyboard to a musical note; and

third instructions for outputting the musical note, wherein the second instructions include instructions for using a musical mapping wherein musical notes that are most often played in musical compositions are mapped to keys in a home row of the computer keyboard, and wherein a pattern of the mapped keys completes a musical octave in three keys horizontally and four keys vertically, wherein the pattern repeats itself across the computer keyboard two or more times.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the musical mapping further includes mapping keys such that musical notes that are second most often to be played in musical compositions are mapped to keys in one of a row above the home row and a row below the home row.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein mapping of other musical notes that are not most often played in musical compositions, is performed based on a relative probability that the other musical notes will be played in conjunction with the musical notes that are most often played in musical compositions.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising mapping one or more peripheral or function keys to the keys of computer keyboard, wherein the peripheral or function keys are used to initiate a change in the musical note that is output wherein the one or more function keys include at least one of a treble octave up key, a treble octave down key, a bass octave up key, a bass octave down key, all octave up key, all octave down key, a musical Key change key, patch sound key, stack sound key, a chorus key, a reverb key, a sustain key, a start/stop recordation key, a volume up/down key, and a mute key.

20. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for outputting musical notes with a computer keyboard, comprising:

first instructions for identifying an actuation of at least one key of the computer keyboard;

second instructions for mapping the at least one key of the computer keyboard to a musical note; and

third instructions for outputting the musical note, wherein the second instructions include instructions for using a musical mapping wherein musical notes that are most often played in musical compositions are mapped to keys in a home row of the computer keyboard, wherein the mapping of musical notes in the home row includes the Diatonic note I (do) and at least one of the musical notes iii (mi) or V (sol), and wherein a pattern of the mapped keys completes a musical octave in three keys horizontally and four keys vertically, wherein the pattern repeats itself across the computer keyboard two or more times.