Musical-instrument controller with triad-forming note-trigger convergence points

• US 6,670,535 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2002
• Issued: 12/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Clifton L. Anderson, Zenon Q. Anderson
• Original Assignee: Clifton L. Anderson, Zenon Q. Anderson
• Inventors: Anderson, Zenon Q., Anderson, Clifton L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Donels, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US10/142,223
• Publication Number:
  US 20030209130A1
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: 844/43, 844/71.SR, 844/85.SR, 844/79.R, 844/79.A, 844/831, 844/832, 844/85.R
• US Class Current: 84/443
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/34 Switch arrangements, e.g. keyboards or mechanical switches specially adapted for electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/386 One-finger or one-key chord systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/251 arranged as 2D or 3D arrays; Keyboards ergonomically organised for playing chords or for transposing, e.g. Janko keyboard special keyboards for playing chords, e.g. accordion G10H2230/245

Abstract

A musical instrument controller provides an array keyboard in which most note triggers form major 3rd, minor 3rd, and perfect fifth intervals at line segment boundaries with adjacent note triggers, and form major and minor triads at vertices or other convergence points where three note triggers meet. The segments and vertices provide for single-finger triggering of intervals and triads. After-pressure and movement in the array plane (even crossing trigger boundaries) provide for three dimensions of per-key continuous control.

Claims

1. A musical-instrument controller comprising an array of note triggers assigned respective notes, first, second, and third of said note triggers converging at a first convergence point so as to define a triad, said musical-instrument controller further providing motion sensing so that when a force initially contacts said first note trigger and then executes a motion to said second note trigger while maintaining contact with said array, said motion causes a change in the value of a continuous controller and does not trigger a note associated with said second note trigger.

2. A musical instrument controller as recited in claim 1 wherein said array is two dimensional and said motion sensing senses motion in each of said array'"'"'s dimensions.

3. A musical instrument controller as recited in claim 1 wherein said array has a perimeter, said motion sensing continuing monotonically when following a motion vector that reverses a motion vector component at said perimeter.

4. An musical instrument controller having an array of note triggers, said note triggers including first and second note triggers, said controller providing motion sensing so that when a force initially contacts said first note trigger and then executes a motion to said second note trigger while maintaining contact with said array, said motion causes a change in the value of a continuous controller and does not trigger said second note associated with said second note trigger.

5. A musical instrument controller as recited in claim 4 wherein said array is two dimensional and said motion sensing senses motion in each of said array'"'"'s dimensions.

6. A musical instrument controller as recited in claim 4 wherein said array has a perimeter, said motion sensing continuing monotonically when following a motion vector that reverses a motion vector component at said perimeter.