Methods and systems to process input of stringed instruments

• US 8,395,040 B1
• Filed: 01/28/2009
• Issued: 03/12/2013
• 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): UHLIR, CHRISTOPHER J
• Application Number:
  US12/361,493
• Time in Patent Office: 1,504 Days
• Field of Search: 847/33
• US Class Current: 84/733
• 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
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/175 using nonmagnetic string materials, e.g. nylon; Sensors specially adapted therefor
• 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. A method for electronic sensing of stringed instrument input, the method comprising:

receiving first signals from a peak detection circuit, wherein said peak detection circuit is operable to sense string activation of said instrument;

receiving second signals from a first capacitive sensor and a second capacitive sensor located on a neck of said instrument, the first capacitive sensor and the second capacitive sensor overlapping across an axis between the first capacitive sensor and the second capacitive sensor, wherein said second signals comprise finger placement information;

processing said first and said second signals to generate an audio signal therefrom; and

electronically rendering said audio signal to produce an audible output of the stringed instrument input.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving third signals from a capacitive sensor based tremolo bar device, wherein said processing further comprises processing said first signals, said second signals, and said third signals to generate said audio signal.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising string activation detecting capacitive sensors located on said instrument.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising string activation detecting optical sensors located on said instrument.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a capo setting and wherein said processing comprises adjusting said audio signal to reflect a capo.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a tuning configuration and wherein said processing comprises adjusting said audio signal to reflect said tuning configuration of said instrument.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said processing comprises detecting vibrato based on varying pressure applied to a capacitive sensor.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said processing comprises detecting pitch bend based upon movement of a finger across a portion of the sensing area.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said processing comprises detecting hammer on based on an increase in capacitance.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said processing comprises detecting pull-off based on a decrease in capacitance.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said processing comprises detecting a slide based on sequential changes in the first capacitive sensor and the second capacitive sensor.

12. An electronic system to provide electronic sensing in a stringed instrument, said electronic system comprising:

a string activation module configured to sense string activation of said instrument;

a capacitive sensor module configured to capacitively sense finger positions along a plurality of fret positions and a plurality of stings; and

a processing module configured to receive signals from said string activation module and said capacitive sensor module, wherein said processing module is further configured to output an audio signal to be electronically rendered as an audible output of the stringed instrument, wherein a neck portion of the stringed instrument comprises a first capacitive sensor and a second capacitive sensor that overlap across an axis between the first capacitive sensor and the second capacitive sensor, wherein the capacitive sensor module detects the finger positions via the first capacitive sensor and the second capacitive sensor.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said string activation module is operable to detect string activation optically.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein said processing module is coupled to a tremolo bar input device.

15. The system of claim 12 further comprising a first plurality of capacitive sensors disposed in a strumming area of said instrument, wherein said string activation module senses string activation via said first plurality of capacitive sensors.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein said processing module outputs said audio signal based on a capo setting.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein said processing module is operable to detect vibrato and pitch bend.

18. A musical apparatus comprising:

a neck portion comprising a plurality of capacitive sensors, the capacitive sensors configured to indicate finger positions across a plurality of frets and a plurality of strings, wherein adjacent capacitive sensors, of the plurality of capacitive sensors, overlap across an axis between adjacent capacitive sensors;

a body portion comprising an activation area; and

a processing component operable to receive signals from said plurality of capacitive sensors and said activation area, wherein said processing component processes said signals from said plurality of capacitive sensors and said activation area to produce an audio signal to be electronically rendered as an audible output of the musical apparatus.

19. The musical apparatus of claim 18, wherein said body portion further comprises a plurality of capacitive sensors operable to receive tremolo bar input.