Portable electronic music score device for transporting, storing displaying, and annotating music scores

• US 7,183,476 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2005
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Margaret J. Swingle, Susan E. Klein
• Original Assignee: Margaret J. Swingle, Susan E. Klein
• Inventors: Klein, Susan E., Swingle, Margaret J.
• Primary Examiner(s): DONELS, JEFFREY
• Application Number:
  US11/084,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20050204889A1
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 844/70.R, 844/71.R, 844/77, 844/78
• US Class Current: 84/477.00R
• CPC Class Codes: G10G 1/00 Means for the representation of music

Abstract

A portable electronic device integrating compact storage for a large collection of musical scores, rapid access to any score in the collection, a display adjustable for various viewing conditions and individual needs, support for annotation that preserves the original score, and simplified page turning. The device includes two touch-sensitive displays hinged together so as to approximate the familiar form of a musical score. The device opens to display two pages of music, one on each of the touch-sensitive displays. The device may be placed on a music stand or piano ledge in the same manner as a traditional musical score. Removable mass storage medium allows virtually unlimited expansion of a score collection. Menu selection and subsequent random access to selected scores result in rapid retrieval of any score a musician may require. The touch-sensitive surface of the touch-sensitive displays allows menu selection, display adjustment, page-turning, and other features at the touch of a finger, as well as non-destructive annotation at the stroke of a stylus. In sum, the device enhances the interaction between musician and musical score in ways that transform the manner of a musician'"'"'s ownership and use of a large collection of scores.

Claims

1. A portable electronic sheet music device for transporting, storing, displaying, and annotating music scores, comprising:

a housing having an interior and an exterior;

a touch-sensitive display including a left screen and a right screen disposed to be visible from the exterior of the housing;

a processor contained in the housing and operatively connected to the display, the processor being configured to generate a toolbar on the display, the toolbar being configured to facilitate user instruction to the processor by means of touching the display at locations defined on the toolbar;

an internal memory contained in the housing and operatively connected to the processor; and

an external memory medium interface accessible from the exterior and configured to bring an external memory medium into operative connection with the processor, the external memory medium being configured to store music scores such that the processor may cause the music scores to be displayed as a series of notes arrayed to resemble sheet music, the score being displayed as pages on the left screen and the right screen;

wherein the toolbar is further configured to allow an operator to instruct the processor to highlight at least one note by touching the at least one note at a note location on the display.

2. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein the toolbar is configured to include:

a reduce note location such that an operator may instruct the processor to reduce the size of displayed notes by touching the display at the reduce note location

an enlarge note location such that an operator may instruct the processor to enlarge the size of displayed notes by touching the display at the enlarge note location.

3. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein the toolbar is configured to include at least one invoke toolbar location such that an operator may instruct the processor to display a second toolbar by touching the display at the invoke toolbar location.

4. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the toolbar is configured to include;

an increase contrast location such that an operator may instruct the processor to increase the contrast of the display by touching the display at the increase contrast location; and

a decrease contrast location such that an operator may instruct the processor to decrease the contrast of the display by touching the display at the decrease contrast location.

5. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein the toolbar is further configured to allow an operator to instruct the processor to display a fingering the operator to include in the score at the location of at least one note by touching the display at an at least one note location on the display.

6. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein the toolbar is further configured to allow an operator to instruct the processor to save a score as displayed by touching the display at a save score location.

7. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein said external memory medium is an optical laser disk.

8. The device as defined in claim 7, wherein said optical laser disk drive is accessible through said housing.

9. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein contact between a plurality of locations on the display arranged in a cursive pattern will instruct the processor to generate at least one notation according to the cursive pattern.

10. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to generate at least one of a turn forward location and a turn backward location, the turn forward location being configured such that an operator may instruct the processor to display a subsequent notes of the score by touching the display at the turn forward location and that an operator may instruct the processor to display earlier notes of the score relative to the current displayed notes of the score by touching the display at the turn backward location;

and

an internal memory contained in the housing and operatively connected to the processor.

11. The device as defined in claim 10, wherein the turn backward location is situated in the left screen;

and wherein the turn forward location is situated in the right screen.

12. The device as defined in claim 1, further comprising an on/off switch;

wherein said on/off switch is operatively connected to said processor;

wherein said on/off switch is disposed on said housing;

wherein said on/off switch achieves a closed state when said housing is unfolded open; and

wherein said on/off switch achieves an open state when said housing is folded closed.

13. The device as defined in claim 10, further comprising a metronome;

wherein said metronome is operatively connected to said processor;

wherein said metronome is contained in said housing; and

wherein said metronome generates an aurally-cognizable signal at a regular interval.

14. The device as defined in claim 13, the processor generates a metronome tool bar to include at least one metronome location;

and wherein contact with the at

least one metronome location alters the temporal length of the interval.

15. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein said external memory medium includes one of a memory stick and a flash EEPROM.

16. The device as defined in claim 15, wherein said external memory medium interface is a port on said housing;

and

wherein said port on said housing is configured to receive said one of said memory stick and said flash EEPROM.

17. The device as defined in claim 13, further comprising a sound system;

wherein the sound system is contained within the housing; and

wherein the sound system is operatively connected to the processor.

18. The device as defined in claim 17, wherein the sound system is a sound card.

19. The device as defined in claim 13, further comprising at least one speaker;

wherein the at least one speaker is audible through the housing;

wherein the at least one speaker is operatively connected to the processor;

wherein the at least one speaker audiblizes said metronome; and

wherein the at least one speaker audiblizes any musical external memory medium inserted into the external memory medium interface so as to allow the device to play music for a user to listen to.

20. The device as defined in claim 19, further comprising a headphone jack;

wherein the headphone jack is on the housing;

wherein the headphone jack is operatively connected to the processor; and

wherein the headphone jack is for receiving a headphone for quiet listening of one of the metronome and the musical external memory medium inserted into the external memory medium interface instead of listening via the at least one speaker.

21. The device as defined in claim 1, further comprising a power jack;

wherein the power jack is on the housing;

wherein the power jack is operatively connected to the processor; and

wherein the power jack is for receiving a power cord for plugging into a conventional power source.

22. A portable electronic sheet music device for transporting, storing, displaying, and annotating music scores, comprising:

a housing having an interior and an exterior;

a touch-sensitive display including a left screen and a right screen disposed to be visible from the exterior of the housing;

a processor contained in the housing and operatively connected to the display, the processor being configured to generate a toolbar on the display, the toolbar being configured to facilitate user instruction to the processor by means of touching the display at locations defined on the toolbar;

an internal memory contained in the housing and operatively connected to the processor; and

an external memory medium interface accessible from the exterior and configured to bring an external memory medium into operative connection with the processor, the external memory medium being configured to store music scores such that the processor may cause the music scores to be displayed as a series of notes arrayed to resemble sheet music, the score being displayed as pages on the left screen and the right screen;

wherein the toolbar is further configured to allow an operator to instinct the processor to display a fingering the operator to include in the score at the location of at least one note by touching the display at an at least one note location on the display.

23. A portable electronic sheet music device for transporting, storing, displaying, and annotating music scores, comprising:

a housing having an interior and an exterior;

a touch-sensitive display including a left screen and a right screen disposed to be visible from the exterior of the housing;

a processor contained in the housing and operatively connected to the display, the processor being configured to generate a toolbar on the display, the toolbar being configured to facilitate user instinction to the processor by means of touching the display at locations defined on the toolbar;

an internal memory contained in the housing and operatively connected to the processor; and

an external memory medium interface accessible from the exterior and configured to bring an external memory medium into operative connection with the processor, the external memory medium being configured to store music scores such that the processor may cause the music scores to be displayed as a series of notes arrayed to resemble sheet music, the score being displayed as pages on the left screen and the right screen;

wherein contact between a plurality of locations on the display arranged in a cursive pattern will instruct the processor to generate at least one notation according to the cursive pattern.