System for creating and manipulating digital media

• US 8,180,073 B1
• Filed: 02/06/2009
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mark J. Grote, Nicholas L. Jumblatt
• Original Assignee: Mark J. Grote, Nicholas L. Jumblatt
• Inventors: Grote, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Zandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): WARD, ERIC A
• Application Number:
  US12/366,867
• Time in Patent Office: 1,194 Days
• Field of Search: 715/716, 715/717, 345173-183, 846/25, 846/60, 846/97, 381/119, 178 1901- 1905
• US Class Current: 381/119
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0008 Associated control or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/096 using a touch screen touch screen note input, e.g. using a displayed keyboard G10H2220/241; personal digital assistant [PDA] G10H2230/015
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/015 PDA [personal digital assistant] or palmtop computing devices used for musical purposes, e.g. portable music players, tablet computers, e-readers or smart phones in which mobile telephony functions need not be used touch-screen interfaces G10H2220/096
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 7/004 with one or more auxiliary processor in addition to the main processing unit

Abstract

A system for creating and manipulating digital media integrates a graphics tablet, a touchpad, and a synthesizer chipset. The graphics tablet includes a tablet surface, a grid of wires located under the tablet surface, and a graphics tablet chipset. The graphics tablet chipset includes an interface operably connected to the grid of wires for sending power to a stylus when the stylus is positioned over the tablet surface and receiving a signal from the stylus used to determine a position of the stylus with respect to the tablet surface. The touchpad is positioned on the tablet surface such that the touchpad also detects the position of the stylus simultaneously with the graphics tablet. The synthesizer chipset creates digital sounds based on input from the touchpad. The position of the stylus is output to a graphics tablet chipset output, and the digital sounds are output to a synthesizer chipset sound output.

Claims

1. A system for creating and manipulating digital media, comprising:

a graphics tablet comprising a tablet surface, a grid of wires located under the tablet surface, and a graphics tablet chipset comprising;

a graphics tablet chipset interface operably connected to the grid of wires for sending power to a stylus when the stylus is positioned over the tablet surface and receiving a signal from the stylus; and

a graphics tablet chipset output;

wherein the graphics tablet chipset determines a position of the stylus with respect to the tablet surface using the graphics tablet chipset interface, and outputs the position of the stylus to the graphics tablet chipset output;

a touchpad being positioned on the tablet surface such that the touchpad also detects the position of the stylus simultaneously with the graphics tablet determining the position of the stylus;

a synthesizer chipset comprising;

a synthesizer chipset input in communication with the touchpad; and

a synthesizer chipset sound output;

wherein the synthesizer chipset creates digital sounds based on input from the touchpad via the synthesizer chipset input, and outputs the digital sounds to the synthesizer chipset sound output; and

a computer having a graphical user interface (GUI), the GUI being in communication with the graphics tablet chipset output for receiving the position of the stylus from the graphics tablet chipset;

wherein the computer has a sound input in communication with the synthesizer chipset output for receiving the digital sounds from the synthesizer chipset, wherein the computer executes a sound manipulation software program for manipulating the digital sounds to produce manipulated digital sounds, and wherein the computer further has a sound output for outputting the manipulated digital sounds;

wherein the computer executes a drawing software program for;

creating a visual image using the position of the stylus from the graphics tablet chipset as an input to the drawing software program; and

influencing characteristics of the visual image using the digital sounds from the synthesizer chipset; and

wherein the computer further has a video output for outputting the visual image.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a housing containing the graphics tablet, the touchpad and the synthesizer chipset in a unitary assembly.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a program/value input device being integral with the housing;

a program/value display device being integral with the housing; and

a loop function input device being integral with the housing; and

wherein the synthesizer chipset further comprises;

a program/value input in communication with the program/value input device, for receiving a selection of one of a plurality of synthesized sound programs for creating the digital sounds;

a program/value display output in communication with the program/value display device, for displaying an indication of the selection of one of the plurality of synthesized sound programs; and

a loop function input in communication with the loop function input device for receiving an instruction to stack sound phrases from at least two of the plurality of synthesized sound programs.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising a strap having a first end and a second end, the first end and the second end attached to the housing so that the housing can be supported by a body of a user when creating the digital sounds.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the stylus further has an integral loop function input device, and wherein the synthesizer chipset further comprises a loop function input in communication with the loop function input device for receiving an instruction to stack sound phrases from at least two of a plurality of synthesized sound programs.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer has a sound input in communication with the synthesizer chipset output for receiving the digital sounds from the synthesizer chipset, wherein the computer executes a sound manipulation software program for manipulating the digital sounds to produce manipulated digital sounds, and wherein the computer further has a sound output for outputting the manipulated digital sounds.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer executes a drawing software program for creating a visual image using the position of the stylus from the graphics tablet chipset as an input to the drawing software program, and wherein the computer further has a video output for outputting the visual image.

8. A system for creating and manipulating digital media, comprising:

a graphics tablet comprising a tablet surface, a grid of wires located under the tablet surface, and a graphics tablet chipset comprising;

a graphics tablet chipset interface operably connected to the grid of wires for sending power to a stylus when the stylus is positioned over the tablet surface and receiving a signal from the stylus; and

a graphics tablet chipset output;

wherein the graphics tablet chipset determines a position of the stylus with respect to the tablet surface using the graphics tablet chipset interface, and outputs the position of the stylus to the graphics tablet chipset output;

a touchpad being positioned on the tablet surface such that the touchpad also detects the position of the stylus simultaneously with the determination of the position of the stylus by the graphics tablet; and

a switch being interfaced to the touchpad for switching the touchpad between a first touchpad interface, a second touchpad interface, and a standby position;

a first synthesizer chipset comprising;

a first synthesizer chipset input in communication with the first touchpad interface; and

a first synthesizer chipset sound output;

a second synthesizer chipset comprising;

a second synthesizer chipset input in communication with the second touchpad interface; and

a second synthesizer chipset sound output;

wherein the first synthesizer chipset and the second synthesizer chipset create first synthesizer digital sounds and second synthesizer digital sounds, respectively, based on input from the touchpad via the first synthesizer chipset input and the second synthesizer chipset input, respectively, and output the first synthesizer digital sounds and the second synthesizer digital sounds to the first synthesizer chipset sound output and the second synthesizer chipset sound output, respectively; and

an audio mixer comprising;

a first channel input to a first channel in communication with the first synthesizer chipset sound output;

a second channel input to a second channel in communication with the second synthesizer chipset sound output;

a mixing control; and

an audio mixer output;

wherein the audio mixer mixes the first synthesizer digital sounds and the second synthesizer digital sounds via the mixing control to produce mixed digital sounds, and outputs the mixed digital sounds to the audio mixer output.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a housing containing the graphics tablet, the touchpad, the switch, the first synthesizer chipset, the second synthesizer chipset, and the audio mixer in a unitary assembly.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a first program/value input device being integral with the housing;

a first program/value display device being integral with the housing;

a first loop function input device being integral with the housing;

a second program/value input device being integral with the housing;

a second program/value display device being integral with the housing; and

a second loop function input device being integral with the housing;

wherein the first synthesizer chipset further comprises;

a first program/value input in communication with the first program/value input device, for receiving a selection of one of a plurality of synthesized sound programs of the first synthesizer chipset for creating the first synthesizer digital sounds;

a first program/value display output in communication with the first program/value display device, for displaying an indication of the selection of one of the plurality of synthesized sound programs of the first synthesizer chipset; and

a first loop function input in communication with the first loop function input device for receiving an instruction to stack sound phrases from at least two of the plurality of synthesized sound programs of the first synthesizer chipset; and

wherein the second synthesizer chipset further comprises;

a second program/value input in communication with the second program/value input device, for receiving a selection of one of a plurality of synthesized sound programs of the second synthesizer chipset for creating the second synthesizer digital sounds;

a second program/value display output in communication with the second program/value display device, for displaying an indication of the selection of one of the plurality of synthesized sound programs of the second synthesizer chipset; and

a second loop function input in communication with the second loop function input device for receiving an instruction to stack sound phrases from at least two of the plurality of synthesized sound programs of the second synthesizer chipset.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a strap having a first end and a second end, the first end and the second end attached to the housing so that the housing can be supported by a body of a user.

12. The system of claim 8, further comprising a computer having a graphical user interface (GUI), the computer being in communication with the graphics tablet chipset output, the computer receiving the position of the stylus from the graphics tablet chipset as an input to the GUI.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the computer has a sound input in communication with the audio mixer output for receiving the mixed digital sounds from the audio mixer output, wherein the computer executes a sound manipulation software program for manipulating the mixed digital sounds to produce manipulated digital sounds, and wherein the computer further has a sound output for outputting the manipulated digital sounds.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the computer executes a drawing software program for creating a visual image using the position of the stylus from the graphics tablet chipset as an input to the drawing software program, and wherein the computer further has a video output for outputting the visual image.

15. The system of claim 12,

wherein the computer has a sound input in communication with the audio mixer output for receiving the mixed digital sounds from the audio mixer output, wherein the computer executes a sound manipulation software program for manipulating the mixed digital sounds to produce manipulated digital sounds, and wherein the computer further has a sound output for outputting the manipulated digital sounds;

wherein the computer executes a drawing software program for;

creating a visual image using the position of the stylus from the graphics tablet chipset as an input to the drawing software program; and

influencing characteristics of the visual image using the mixed digital sounds from the audio mixer output; and

wherein the computer further has a video output for outputting the visual image.

16. The system of claim 8,

wherein the stylus further comprises a first integral loop function input device and a second integral loop function input device;

wherein the first synthesizer chipset further comprises a first loop function input in communication with the first integral loop function input device for receiving an instruction to stack sound phrases from at least two of a plurality of synthesized sound programs of the first synthesizer chipset; and

wherein the second synthesizer chipset further comprises a second loop function input in communication with the second integral loop function input device for receiving an instruction to stack sound phrases from at least two of a plurality of synthesized sound programs of the second synthesizer chipset.