Synchronized beat notification system and master device and slave device for use therewith

• US 7,030,308 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2003
• Issued: 04/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Yagi, Shigeki
• Primary Examiner(s): DONELS, JEFFREY
• Application Number:
  US10/655,843
• Publication Number:
  US 20040079220A1
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 844/84
• US Class Current: 84/484
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/00 Teaching music metronomes G04F5/02

Abstract

A synchronized beat notification system has a master device having a beat input unit and a master radio communication unit for transmitting as radio information a beat inputted to the beat input unit together with identification information corresponding to information identifying the master device. A slave device has a slave radio communication unit for receiving the radio information transmitted from the master radio communication unit and a beat notification unit for performing notification of the beat inputted to the beat input unit in accordance with the information received by the slave radio communication unit. The slave radio communication unit extracts from the received radio information the identification information corresponding to the master device and controls the beat notification unit to perform beat notification only when the extracted identification information coincides with identification information on a master device intended to become a communication partner with the slave device.

Claims

1. A synchronized beat notification system for providing beat notifications to a plurality of users participating in synchronization with a common rhythm, the synchronized beat notification system comprising:

a master device comprised of a beat input unit to which a user inputs a beat with arbitrary timing, a master radio communication unit for transmitting as radio information the beat inputted to the beat input unit together with identification information corresponding to information identifying the master device, and a master housing containing therein the beat input unit and the master radio communication unit; and

a slave device comprised of a slave radio communication unit for receiving the radio information transmitted from the master radio communication unit of the master device, a beat notification unit for performing notification of the beat inputted to the beat input unit of the master device in accordance with the information received by the slave radio communication unit, and a slave housing containing therein the slave radio communication unit and the beat notification unit, the slave radio communication unit extracting from the received radio information the identification information corresponding to the master device and controlling the beat notification unit to perform beat notification only when the extracted identification information coincides with identification information on a master device intended to become a communication partner with the slave device.

2. A synchronized beat notification system according to claim 1;

wherein the beat input unit of the master device comprises at least one switch.

3. A synchronized beat notification system according to claim 1;

wherein the beat input unit comprises a pressure sensor and at least one comparator for discriminating an output of the pressure sensor to thereby output two types of events corresponding to the input of a downbeat and the input of an upbeat.

4. A synchronized beat notification system according to claim 1;

wherein the beat notification unit of the slave device comprises an LCD display; and

wherein the beat notification unit performs notification of the beat by displaying the beat with the LCD display.

5. A synchronized beat notification system according to claim 1;

wherein the beat notification unit of the slave device comprises an LED display; and

wherein the beat notification unit performs notification of the beat by displaying the beat with the LED display.

6. A synchronized beat notification system according to claim 1;

wherein the beat notification unit of the slave device comprises a sound generating device for generating a sound; and

wherein the beat notification unit performs notification of the beat by generation of a sound by the sound generation device.

7. A synchronized beat notification system according to claim 1;

wherein the beat notification unit of the slave device comprises a generating device for generating a bodily-sensational expression; and

wherein the beat notification unit performs notification of the beat by generation of a bodily-sensational expression by the generating device.

8. A synchronized beat notification system according to claim 1;

wherein the beat notification unit comprises means for adjusting a strength of the beat notification.

9. A synchronized beat notification system according to claim 1;

wherein each of the master housing and the slave housing is made of a material resistant to water.

10. A synchronized beat notification system according to claim 1;

wherein the master device further comprises a predetermined-cycle beat generator disposed in the master housing for generating a predetermined timing cycle for beat notification and for indicating starting and stopping of beat generation; and

wherein the master radio communication unit of the master device transmits by radio signal information indicating that a beat is inputted to the beat input unit and that the starting and stopping of beat generation is indicated by the predetermined-cycle beat generator.

11. A synchronized beat notification system according to claim 1;

wherein the master device further comprises a predetermined-cycle beat generator disposed in the master housing for generating a predetermined timing cycle for beat notification and for indicating starting and stopping of beat generation, the master radio communication unit of the master device transmitting by radio signal information indicating that a beat is inputted to the beat input unit and that the starting and stopping of beat generation is indicated by the predetermined-cycle beat generator; and

a beat generation display unit disposed in the master housing for displaying the information transmitted by the master radio communication unit and corresponding to the beat inputted to the beat input unit and the starting and stopping of beat generation indicated by the predetermined-cycle beat generator.

12. A synchronized beat notification system according to claim 1;

wherein the slave device further comprises a slave predetermined-cycle beat generation indicator disposed in the slave housing for generating a predetermined timing cycle for beat notification and for indicating starting and stopping of beat generation;

wherein the beat notification unit performs notification of information informing that beat indication is performed by the slave radio communication unit and that the slave predetermined-cycle beat generation indicator indicates starting and stopping of beat generation.

13. A master device for a synchronized beat notification system for providing synchronized beat notification through slave devices to a plurality of users having the respective slave devices and participating in synchronization with a common rhythm, the master device comprising:

a beat input unit to which a user inputs a beat with arbitrary timing;

a master radio communication unit for transmitting, as radio information, to the slave devices the beat inputted to the beat input unit together with identification information corresponding to information identifying the master device; and

a master housing containing therein the beat input unit and the master radio communication unit.

14. A master device according to claim 13;

wherein the master housing is made of a waterproof material.

15. A system of slave devices for providing synchronized beat notification transmitted by a master device to a plurality of users having the respective slave devices and participating in synchronization with a common rhythm, each of the slave devices comprising:

a slave radio communication unit for receiving information corresponding to the synchronized beat notification transmitted by the master device and including identification information corresponding to information identifying the master device;

a beat notification unit for performing notification of a beat to the user in accordance with the synchronized beat notification received by the slave radio communication unit, the slave radio communication unit extracting the identification information from the received information and controlling the beat notification unit to perform beat notification only when the extracted identification information coincides with identification information on a master device intended to become a communication partner with the slave device; and

a slave housing containing therein the slave radio communication unit and the beat notification unit.

16. A system of slave devices according to claim 15;

wherein each slave housing is made of a waterproof material.

17. A synchronized beat notification system for providing beat notifications to a plurality of users participating in synchronization with a common rhythm, the synchronized beat notification system comprising:

a plurality of master devices each comprised of a beat input unit to which a user inputs a beat with arbitrary timing, a master radio communication unit for transmitting as radio information the beat inputted to the beat input unit together with identification information corresponding to information identifying the master device, and a master housing containing therein the beat input unit and the master radio communication unit; and

a plurality of slave devices each comprised of a slave radio communication unit for receiving the radio information transmitted from the master radio communication unit of at least one of the master devices, a beat notification unit for performing notification of the beat inputted to the beat input unit of the master device in accordance with the information received by the slave radio communication unit, and a slave housing containing therein the slave radio communication unit and the beat notification unit, the slave radio communication unit extracting from the received radio information the identification information corresponding to the master device and controlling the beat notification unit to perform beat notification only when the extracted identification information coincides with identification information on one of the master devices intended to become a communication partner with the slave device.

18. A synchronized beat notification system according to claim 17;

wherein each of the master housing and the slave housing is made of a waterproof material.