Controllable frequency-reducing cross-product chain

• US 6,849,795 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2003
• Issued: 02/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NRI R&D Patent Licensing, LLC (Advanced Touchscreen and Gesture Technologies, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lester F. Ludwig
• Inventors: Ludwig, Lester F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fletcher, Marlon
• Application Number:
  US10/703,137
• Publication Number:
  US 20040094021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 454 Days
• Field of Search: 84600-603, 84609-610, 84622-626, 846/34, 846/45, 84649-650, 84659-662, 846/66, 84671-673, 846/75, 846/92, 846/97, 84699-701, 847/12, 84D/IG.9
• US Class Current: 84/661
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/00 Details of electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0058 Transmission between separate instruments or between individual components of a musical system G10H1/0083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0066 using a MIDI interface
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/348 Switches actuated by parts of the body other than fingers
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/46 Volume control
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/521 Hall effect transducers or similar magnetic field sensing semiconductor devices, e.g. for string vibration sensing or key movement sensing
• 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 2230/095 Spint zither, i.e. mimicking any neckless stringed instrument in which the strings do not extend beyond the sounding board
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/101 Spint koto, i.e. mimicking any traditional asian-style plucked zither with movable bridges
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/115 Spint sitar, i.e. mimicking any long-necked plucked string instrument with a large number of additional non-playable sympathetic resonating strings or an additional gourd-like resonating chamber
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/145 Spint guitar keyboard, i.e. mimicking a combination of a guitar-like instrument, with or without strings, and a piano-like keyboard, e.g. with white and black keys arranged like on a piano
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/271 Spint gong, i.e. mimicking circular flat, nippled or bowl-shaped metallic percussion instruments G10H2230/321 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 3/18 using a string, e.g. electric guitar mechanical features G10D1/085
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 3/26 : using electric feedback
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 84/10 : Feedback

Abstract

This invention provides a signal processing and signal synthesis technique from a family of signal processing and signal synthesis techniques designed to readily interwork or be used individually in creating new forms of rich musical timbres. A real-time controllable mix of a plurality of multiple output frequency-reduced signals and the cross-products of these signals provides rich animated harmonically partitioned spectra. Mixing parameters may be recalled from stored program control or modulated in real-time by arbitrary control signals, including envelope generators, low-frequency oscillators, and those derived from an original input signal, and specifically including the amplitude of an original input signal. The real-time controllable mix may have multiple outputs and be subjected to further signal processing and multiple-channel amplification. The invention may be used individually or in conjunction with other signal processing and signal synthesis techniques in creating new forms of rich musical timbres. The invention may also be used in spatially-distributed timbre construction.

Claims

1. A system for generating a real-time-controllable, harmonically-partitioned waveform, said system comprising:

a plurality of incoming signals, wherein each signal of said plurality of incoming signals comprise substantially periodic signals;

a plurality of multiple output frequency reduction elements, wherein each reduction element of said plurality of multiple output frequency reduction elements provide a plurality of frequency reduction output signals, and wherein each output signal of said plurality of frequency reduction output signals has a signal of successively lower frequency;

a plurality of cross-product elements, wherein each cross-product element of said plurality of cross-product elements provide a cross-product waveform signal resulting from a multiplicative product of at least two frequency reduction output signals provided by separate multiple output frequency reduction elements of said plurality of multiple output frequency reduction elements;

a processor for generating an internal mixer control signal in response in an incoming mixer control signal; and

a multi-channel controllable mixer for mixing a plurality of mixer input signals, wherein said plurality of mixer input signals comprise said plurality of frequency reduction output signals provided by said plurality of frequency reduction elements and said cross-product waveform signal generated by each cross-product element of said plurality of cross-product elements, wherein said multi-channel controllable mixer generates at least one outgoing audio signal comprising a variable mix of two or more signals of said plurality of mixer input signals, and wherein said variable mix of two or more signals is controlled by said internal mixer control signal.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of multiple output frequency reduction elements comprises a frequency reduction chain, wherein said frequency reduction chain includes a plurality of successively interconnected frequency reduction elements, and wherein each reduction element of said plurality of frequency reduction elements provides one output signal of said plurality of frequency reduction output signals.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said processor generates a plurality of internal mixer control signals, wherein at least one of said plurality of internal mixer control signals is generated in response to an envelope follower following an amplitude of at least one incoming signal of said plurality of incoming signals.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said processor generates a plurality of internal mixer control signals in response to said incoming mixer control signal, and wherein said multi-channel controllable mixer modulates said at least one outgoing audio signal in response to said plurality of internal mixer control signals.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of mixer input signals mixed by said multi-channel controllable mixer further include said plurality of incoming signals.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said multi-channel controllable mixer modulates a plurality of outgoing audio signals in response to said internal mixer control signal, wherein each audio signal of said plurality of outgoing audio signals comprise a selected mix of said plurality of mixer input signals.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein at least one of said plurality of outgoing audio signals is processed by an auxiliary signal processor.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one frequency reduction element of said plurality of frequency reduction elements comprises a pitch shifter.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one frequency reduction element of said plurality of multiple output frequency reduction elements comprises:

a chain of frequency divider elements, wherein each divider element of said chain of frequency divider elements produce a square wave with a frequency half that of one of said plurality of incoming signals;

an amplitude follower producing an amplitude control signal responsive to an amplitude of one of said plurality of incoming signals; and

an amplitude modulator for controlling amplitude of said square wave responsive to said amplitude control signal and modulating at least one of said plurality of frequency reduction output signals.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of incoming signals is provided by a frequency-controlled oscillator.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of incoming signals is provided in response to a signal produced by a vibration-sensing transducer.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein said system provides one signal processing layer of a multi-layered signal processing system.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein said system is incorporated into a spatially-distributed timbral realization system.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein said incoming mixer control signal is generated by an envelope generator.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein said envelope generator generates said incoming mixer control signal in response to an envelope generator control signal.

16. The system according to claim 1, wherein said incoming mixer control signal is generated by a low-frequency oscillator.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein said low-frequency oscillator generates said incoming mixer control signal in response to a low-frequency oscillator control signal.

18. The system according to claim 1, wherein said incoming mixer control signal is generated in response to an overtone series of at least one incoming signal of said plurality of incoming signals.

19. The system according to claim 1, wherein said incoming mixer control signal is generated in response to a plurality of phase-staggered low-frequency oscillators.

20. A method for generating a real-time-controllable, harmonically-partitioned waveform, said method comprising:

receiving a plurality of incoming signals, wherein each signal of said plurality of incoming signals comprise substantially periodic signals;

providing a plurality of multiple output frequency reduction elements, wherein each reduction element of said plurality of multiple output frequency reduction elements provide a plurality of frequency reduction output signals, and wherein each output signal of said plurality of frequency reduction output signals has a signal of successively lower frequency;

providing a plurality of cross-product elements, wherein each cross-product element of said plurality of cross-product elements provide a cross-product waveform signal resulting from a multiplicative product of at least two frequency reduction output signals provided by separate multiple output frequency reduction elements of said plurality of multiple output frequency reduction elements;

generating an internal mixer control signal in response in an incoming mixer control signal; and

mixing a plurality of mixer input signals using a multi-channel controllable mixer, wherein said plurality of mixer input signals comprise said plurality of frequency reduction output signals provided by said plurality of frequency reduction elements and said cross-product waveform signal generated by each cross-product element of said plurality of cross-product elements, wherein said multi-channel controllable mixer generates at least one outgoing audio signal comprising a variable mix of two or more signals of said plurality of mixer input signals, and wherein said variable mix of two or more signals is controlled by said internal mixer control signal.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein at least one of said plurality of multiple output frequency reduction elements comprises a frequency reduction chain, wherein said frequency reduction chain includes a plurality of successively interconnected frequency reduction elements, and wherein each reduction element of said plurality of frequency reduction elements provides one output signal of said plurality of frequency reduction output signals.

22. The method according to claim 20, said method further comprising:

generating a plurality of internal mixer control signals, wherein at least one of said plurality of internal mixer control signals is generated in response to an envelope follower following an amplitude of at least one incoming signal of said plurality of incoming signals.

23. The method according to claim 20, said method further comprising:

generating a plurality of internal mixer control signals in response to said incoming mixer control signal, and wherein said multi-channel controllable mixer modulates said at least one outgoing audio signal in response to said plurality of internal mixer control signals.

24. The method according to claim 20, wherein said plurality of mixer input signals mixed by said multi-channel controllable mixer further include said plurality of incoming signals.

25. The method according to claim 20, wherein said multi-channel controllable mixer modulates a plurality of outgoing audio signals in response to said internal mixer control signal, wherein each audio signal of said plurality of outgoing audio signals comprise a selected mix of said plurality of mixer input signals.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein at least one of said plurality of outgoing audio signals is processed by an auxiliary signal processor.

27. The method according to claim 20, wherein at least one frequency reduction element of said plurality of frequency reduction elements comprises a pitch shifter.

28. The method according to claim 20, wherein at least one frequency reduction element of said plurality of multiple output frequency reduction elements provide said plurality of frequency reduction output signals using a method comprising:

using a chain of frequency divider elements, wherein each divider element of said chain of frequency divider elements produce a square wave with a frequency half that of one of said plurality of incoming signals;

producing an amplitude control signal responsive to an amplitude of one of said plurality of incoming signals;

controlling amplitude of said square wave responsive to said amplitude control signal; and

modulating at least one of said plurality of frequency reduction output signals.

29. The method according to claim 20, wherein at least one of said plurality of incoming signals is provided by a frequency-controlled oscillator.

30. The method according to claim 20, wherein at least one of said plurality of incoming signals is provided in response to a signal produced by a vibration-sensing transducer.

31. The method according to claim 20, wherein said method is implemented within one signal processing layer of a multi-layered signal processing system.

32. The method according to claim 20, wherein said method is implemented within a spatially-distributed timbral realization system.

33. The method according to claim 20, wherein said incoming mixer control signal is generated by an envelope generator.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein said envelope generator generates said incoming mixer control signal in response to an envelope generator control signal.

35. The method according to claim 20, wherein said incoming mixer control signal is generated by a low-frequency oscillator.

36. The method according to claim 35, wherein said low-frequency oscillator generates said incoming mixer control signal in response to a low-frequency oscillator control signal.

37. The method according to claim 20, wherein said incoming mixer control signal is generated in response to an overtone series of at least one incoming signal of said plurality of incoming signals.

38. The method according to claim 20, wherein said incoming mixer control signal is generated in response to a plurality of phase-staggered low-frequency oscillators.