Signal processing for cross-flanged spatialized distortion

• US 7,652,208 B1
• Filed: 11/06/2003
• Issued: 01/26/2010
• 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 T
• Application Number:
  US10/702,941
• Time in Patent Office: 2,273 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 84/625
• 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 multi-channel cross-flanger with differing modulation signals for each flanger element deepens synthesized sounds. The configuration may process outputs from a plurality of distortion signal processors, each driven by a related signal, to create new levels of distortion richness. Each distortion signal processor may be driven by an output of a multiple-output spatializing signal processor. The characteristics and parameters of the processors and modulations may be recalled from stored program control or varied by real-time control signals, including those derived from the original input signal. 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 enriching the timbre of audio signals, said system comprising:

a plurality of incoming audio signals;

a plurality of signal processors, wherein each signal processor of said plurality of signal processors receives one incoming audio signal of said plurality of incoming audio signals, wherein each signal processor of said plurality of signal processors induce a variable delay on a received incoming audio signal to generate a variable-delay audio signal, and wherein said variable delay is controlled by an oscillator signal generated by an associated low-frequency control oscillator; and

a plurality of mixers, wherein each mixer of said plurality of mixers receives a variable-delay audio signal generated by an associated signal processor of said plurality of signal processors and at least one incoming audio signal of said plurality of incoming audio signals, wherein said at least one incoming audio signal includes all of said plurality of incoming audio signals, except for the particular incoming audio signal received at said associated signal processor, and wherein each mixer of said plurality of mixers generates an outgoing audio signal comprising a variable mix of received audio signals.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said associated low-frequency control oscillators is controlled responsive to incoming MIDI control signals.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of signal processors is implemented using two signal processors and said plurality of mixers is implemented using a multi-channel mixer, and wherein said outgoing audio signal generated by said multi-channel mixer comprises a stereo audio output signal.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of incoming audio signals are generated by a corresponding plurality of distortion signal processors.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein each processor of said plurality of distortion signal processors are driven by an associated distinct output of at least one spatializer signal processor.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein each outgoing audio signal generated by each mixer of said plurality of mixers is further mixed to generate an outgoing stereo mix audio signal.

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

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

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein an incoming oscillator frequency control signal controls the frequency of said oscillator signal generated by said associated low-frequency oscillator.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein an incoming oscillator amplitude control signal controls the waveform amplitude of said oscillator signal generated by said associated low-frequency oscillator.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein an incoming oscillator waveshape control signal controls the waveshape of the waveform of said oscillator signal generated by said associated low-frequency oscillator.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of signal processors is further controlled by an incoming control signal.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of signal processors is further controlled by an envelope generator control signal.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of mixers is controlled by an incoming mixer control signal.

15. The system according to claim 4, wherein at least one of said plurality of distortion signal processors is controlled by an incoming distortion control signal.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein said incoming distortion control signal is a signal of MIDI format.

17. A method for enriching the timbre of audio signals, said method comprising:

receiving a plurality of incoming audio signals at an associated plurality of signal processors, wherein each signal processor of said plurality of signal processors receives one incoming audio signal of said plurality of incoming audio signals, wherein each signal processor of said plurality of signal processors induce a variable delay on a received incoming audio signal to generate a variable-delay audio signal, and wherein said variable delay is controlled by an oscillator signal generated by an associated low-frequency control oscillator;

receiving a separate variable-delay audio signal at each mixer of a plurality of mixers, wherein each variable-delay audio signal of said plurality of variable-delay audio signals is generated by an associated signal processor of said plurality of signal processors; and

receiving at least one incoming audio signal of said plurality of incoming audio signals at each mixer of a plurality of mixers, wherein said at least one incoming audio signal includes all of said plurality of incoming audio signals, except for the particular incoming audio signal received at said associated signal processor, and wherein each mixer of said plurality of mixers generates an outgoing audio signal comprising a variable mix of received audio signals.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein at least one of said associated low-frequency control oscillators is controlled responsive to incoming MIDI control signals.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein said plurality of signal processors is implemented using two signal processors and said plurality of mixers is implemented using a multi-channel mixer, and wherein said outgoing audio signal generated by said multi-channel mixer comprises a stereo audio output signal.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein said plurality of incoming audio signals are generated by a corresponding plurality of distortion signal processors.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein each processor of said plurality of distortion signal processors are driven by an associated distinct output of at least one spatializer signal processor.

22. The method according to claim 17, wherein each outgoing audio signal generated by each mixer of said plurality of mixers is further mixed to generate an outgoing stereo mix audio signal.

23. The method according to claim 17, wherein said method is implemented within one signal processing layer of a multi-layered signal processing system.

24. The method according to claim 17, wherein said method is implemented within a spatially-distributed timbral realization system.

25. The method according to claim 17, wherein an incoming oscillator frequency control signal controls the frequency of said oscillator signal generated by said associated low-frequency oscillator.

26. The method according to claim 17, wherein an incoming oscillator amplitude control signal controls the waveform amplitude of said oscillator signal generated by said associated low-frequency oscillator.

27. The method according to claim 17, wherein an incoming oscillator waveshape control signal controls the waveshape of the waveform of said oscillator signal generated by said associated low-frequency oscillator.

28. The method according to claim 17, wherein at least one of said plurality of signal processors is further controlled by an incoming control signal.

29. The method according to claim 17, wherein at least one of said plurality of signal processors is further controlled by an envelope generator control signal.

30. The method according to claim 17, wherein at least one of said plurality of mixers is controlled by an incoming mixer control signal.

31. The method according to claim 20, wherein at least one of said plurality of distortion signal processors is controlled by an incoming distortion control signal.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein said incoming distortion control signal is a signal of MIDI format.