Touch sensitive impact controlled electronic signal transfer device

• US 7,842,879 B1
• Filed: 06/08/2007
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Paul Gregory Carter
• Original Assignee: Paul Gregory Carter
• Inventors: Carter, Paul Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): Donels; Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US11/811,197
• Time in Patent Office: 1,271 Days
• Field of Search: 846/00, 846/44, 847/30, 847/43
• US Class Current: 84/730
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/326 Control glove or other hand or palm-attached control device
• 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 2230/275 Spint drum
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 3/143 characterised by the use of a piezoelectric or magneto-strictive transducer

Abstract

One embodiment of the Touch sensitive impact controlled signal transfer device invention whereas the invention is used as a musical glove device that sends electrical signals to a sound module when areas of the glove containing piezoelectric discs are tapped or otherwise impacted on a surface and where the force applied by impact to the piezoelectric disc or discs is interpreted by the sound module and said module produces a sound at a volume level directly related to the force of impact on the piezoelectric discs and where multiple piezoelectric disks are located in each glove allowing a plurality of sounds by tapping different areas of the glove, such as the palm, thumb and fingers.

Claims

1. A system for translating physical contact with a surface into sounds, the system comprising:

a. one or more pressure sensitive piezoelectric sensors, each configured to generate an electrical signal in direct response to impact applied thereto when subjected to contact with the surface, wherein the electrical signal generated varies with variations in the level of impact associated with contacting the one or more pressure sensitive piezoelectric sensors to the surface;

b. a sound module capable of translating the variable electrical signals received from the one or more pressure sensitive piezoelectric sensors into one or more sounds;

c. a glove for retaining the one or more pressure sensitive piezoelectric sensors for selectable impact thereof with the surface, wherein the piezoelectric sensors are integrated in the glove; and

d. a signal wire and a ground wire directly connecting the one or more pressure sensitive piezoelectric sensors through a junction box to the sound module without a switch therebetween for transferring the variable electrical signals from the one or more pressure sensitive piezoelectric sensors directly to the sound module.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more pressure sensitive piezoelectric sensors are pressure sensitive piezoelectric disks.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising data storage means coupled to the sound module for storing the variable electrical signals, the translated variable electrical signals, the sounds or any combination thereof.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising an amplifier coupled to the sound module.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the sound module is configured to enable selection of an instrument to generate sound associated with the selected instrument based on the translated variable electrical signals.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the selected instrument is a drum set.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the sound module is configured to enable note selection based on the translated variable electrical signals.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the sound module is configured to enable selection of the period of time that a generated sound plays.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the sound module is configured to enable selection of decay of the generated sound.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein there are a plurality of pressure sensitive piezoelectric sensors and the sound module is configured to associate different ones of the pressure sensitive piezoelectric sensors with different sounds.