Detection and processing of signals in stringed instruments

• US 8,093,482 B1
• Filed: 01/28/2009
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cypress Envirosystems, Inc (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Original Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Kramer, Marcus, Hemrajani, Bhishan, Pezzner, Benjamin
• Primary Examiner(s): Donels, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Millikin, Andrew R
• Application Number:
  US12/361,502
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• Field of Search: 844/64.A, 844/64.R, 844/77.R, 844/78, 844/79.A, 844/85.R, 846/15, 846/17, 846/45, 846/46, 846/53, 846/55, 846/78, 846/82, 847/22, 847/23, 847/33, 847/42, 84D/IG.30
• US Class Current: 84/485.R
• CPC Class Codes: A63J 17/00 Apparatus for performing colour-music
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/00 Teaching music metronomes G04F5/02
• CPC Class Codes: G10G 1/02 Chord or note indicators, fixed or adjustable, for keyboard of fingerboards
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0016 Means for indicating which keys, frets or strings are to be actuated, e.g. using lights or leds
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0551 using variable capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/342 for guitar-like instruments with or without strings and with a neck on which switches or string-fret contacts are used to detect the notes being played electric guitars in which the tones are generated by the vibration of strings G10H3/18
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/211 Pitch vibrato, i.e. repetitive and smooth variation in pitch, e.g. as obtainable with a whammy bar or tremolo arm on a guitar non-repetitive smooth pitch variation, e.g. glissando G10H2220/221; repeatedly alternating stepwise in pitch between two notes G10H2210/191
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/036 Chord indicators, e.g. displaying note fingering when several notes are to be played simultaneously as a chord
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/051 Fret indicator, e.g. for playing guidance on a string instrument or string instrument emulator
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/056 Hand or finger indicator, e.g. for indicating which hand or which specific finger should be used
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/066 Colour, i.e. indications with two or more different colours
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/076 String indicator, e.g. on a stringed musical instrument for indicating which string is to be played, plucked or bowed
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/165 for string input, i.e. special characteristics in string composition or use for sensing purposes, e.g. causing the string to become its own sensor transducers, e.g. piezoelectric or magnetic G10H2220/461; plectrum sensors G10H2220/191; guitar neck sensors or fret switches G10H2220/301
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/175 using nonmagnetic string materials, e.g. nylon; Sensors specially adapted therefor piezoelectric transducers G10H2220/525
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/485 One transducer per string, e.g. 6 transducers for a 6 string guitar
• 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 2240/311 MIDI transmission G10H2240/056 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/025 Envelope processing of music signals in, e.g. time domain, transform domain or cepstrum domain
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 3/186 Means for processing the signal picked up from the strings filtering G10H1/12

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method and system for electronic sensing of string instrument input. The method includes receiving a first signal from a peak detection circuit. The peak detection circuit is operable to sense string activation. A second signal is received from one or more capacitive sensors. The second signal may include finger placement information. The method further includes processing the first and the second signals to generate an audio signal and outputting the audio signal.

Claims

1. An audio rendering apparatus comprising:

a plurality of capacitive sensors operable for sensing finger placement and movement;

a plurality of lighting elements each operable to light an area corresponding to a respective capacitive sensor of said plurality of capacitive sensors; and

a processing element operable to receive signals from said plurality of capacitive sensors and control said plurality of lighting elements, wherein said processing element is further operable to generate an audio signal based on said signals from said plurality of capacitive sensors; and

a neck region, wherein said plurality of lighting elements is operable to backlight a portion of said neck region.

2. The audio apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of capacitive sensors is coupled to a respective lighting element of said plurality of lighting elements, wherein said processing element is further operable to control said plurality of capacitive sensors and said plurality of lighting elements in a time multiplexed manner.

3. The audio apparatus of claim 1, wherein said processing element is further operable to control said plurality of lighting elements based on a Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) signal.

4. The audio apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plurality of lighting elements and said plurality of capacitive sensors are coupled to a surface of a fingerboard and wherein said surface of said fingerboard comprises printed circuit board (PCB) material.

5. The audio apparatus of claim 4, wherein said fingerboard comprises fret wires.

6. The audio apparatus of claim 4, wherein said fingerboard comprises a plurality of layers.

7. The audio apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plurality of capacitive sensing elements is unevenly spaced along a neck region.

8. The audio apparatus of claim 1 wherein said plurality of capacitive sensors comprises overlap sensing areas.

9. The audio apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a neck region comprising frets and strings; and

a strumming region, and wherein said plurality of capacitive sensors comprises;

a first plurality of capacitive sensors disposed across said neck region for identifying finger positions across said frets and said strings; and

a second plurality of capacitive sensors dispersed across said strumming region.

10. An audio system for electronic sensing in a stringed instrument, said system comprising:

a plurality of capacitive sensors operable for sensing finger position;

a plurality of lighting elements operable to each light an area corresponding to a respective capacitive sensor of said plurality of capacitive sensors, wherein each of said plurality of lighting elements is coupled to a respective capacitive sensor of said plurality of capacitive elements; and

a processing element operable to receive signals from said plurality of capacitive sensors and to control said plurality of lighting elements, wherein said processing element is operable to utilize said signals from said plurality of capacitive sensors for generating an audio signal and wherein said processing element is further operable to control said plurality of capacitive sensors and said plurality of lighting elements in a time multiplexed manner.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said plurality of lighting elements is operable to be configured to illuminate a finger position based on a signal received from a computing device.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said plurality of lighting elements and said plurality of capacitive sensors are coupled to a surface of a fingerboard of said stringed instrument and wherein said surface of said fingerboard comprises printed circuit board (PCB) material.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein said plurality of capacitive sensing elements are unevenly spaced.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein said plurality of capacitive sensors comprises overlap sensing areas.

15. The system of claim 10, further comprising a plurality of strings each comprising a nylon portion and a metal portion, wherein said metal portion corresponds to a pick up area of said stringed instrument and wherein said nylon portion corresponds to a neck area of said stringed instrument.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein said plurality of capacitive sensing elements are located in a neck area of said string instrument.

17. A guitar comprising:

a body portion comprising a strumming area;

a neck portion comprising a fingerboard comprising;

a plurality of capacitive sensors wherein said plurality of capacitive sensors are operable to detect finger position;

a plurality of lighting elements operable to illuminate a portion of said fingerboard corresponding to a portion of at least one capacitive sensor and further corresponding to a portion of a string of said guitar;

a controller coupled to said plurality of capacitive sensors and said plurality of lighting elements, wherein said controller is operable to control said plurality of lighting elements and further operable to receive signals from said plurality of capacitive sensors in a time multiplexed manner.

18. The guitar of claim 17, wherein said plurality of capacitive elements overlap between neighboring strings.

19. The guitar of claim 17, wherein said strings comprise a nylon portion corresponding to said fingerboard and a metal portion corresponding to said strumming area.