Type piano

• US 8,426,713 B1
• Filed: 09/27/2011
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Philip Sardo
• Original Assignee: Philip Sardo
• Inventors: Sardo, Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): Warren, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): HORN, ROBERT WAYNE
• Application Number:
  US13/246,423
• Time in Patent Office: 574 Days
• Field of Search: 844/23.R, 846/45, 844/70.R, 844/832
• US Class Current: 84/423.R
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/344 Structural association with individual keys electrically operated wind-actuated organs G10B3/22
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/231 Alphanumeric, used for musical purposes or with additional musical features, e.g. typewriter or pc-type keyboard reconfigured such that letters or symbols are assigned to musical notes

Abstract

A sound emitting system includes an abbreviated keyboard coupled to a speaker. The keyboard includes a plurality of rows stationed above a space bar row. The plurality of rows include labeled keys and unlabeled keys. The labeled keys correspond to five accidental notes and eight natural notes within a first octave. The labeled keys are labeled according to a keyboard layout. The speaker emits a note sound when one of the labeled keys is pressed.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a housing including a keyboard portion and a speaker portion, the keyboard portion including a top key row, a middle key row and a bottom key row immediately adjacent to each other, the top row including five keys arranged as five accidental notes within one octave and alphabetically labeled according to an abbreviated keyboard layout, the middle row including eight keys arranged as eight natural notes within the one octave and alphabetically labeled according to the layout, the bottom row including a space bar key between modifier keys, the speaker portion including a speaker operative to emit note sounds.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the top row, the middle row and the bottom row includes at least one unlabeled key.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the modifier keys facilitates shifting of a musical pitch.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the space bar key facilitates shifting of a musical pitch.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the modifier keys upwardly shifts a musical pitch by an octave.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the modifier keys downwardly shifts a musical pitch by an octave.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the space bar key shifts a musical pitch from a non-default pitch to a default pitch.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the top row, the middle row and the bottom row includes unlabeled keys, at least one of the unlabeled keys is not pressible.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the top row, the middle row and the bottom row includes at least one unlabeled key, the unlabeled key is pressible.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the top row includes a labeled key corresponding to an accidental note of another octave different from the one octave.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the middle row includes a labeled key corresponding to a natural note of another octave different from the one octave.

12. The device of claim 1, further comprising an enter key.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the enter key is above one of the modifier keys.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the enter key is L-shaped, the top row and the middle row include the enter key, the one of the modifier keys is immediately adjacent to the enter key.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the enter key is peripherally positioned.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a side operative to face a user, the side includes the keyboard portion and the speaker portion.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the speaker receives power from at least one of solar power, a battery and a cord.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein the layout is a QWERTY layout, the housing containing a processor operably coupled to the speaker and a memory operably coupled to the processor, the memory storing sound information corresponding to the five keys and the eight keys.

19. The device of claim 1, wherein the layout is selected from a group consisting of a QWERTY layout, a DVORAK layout, an AZERTY layout, a JCUKEN layout, a Braille layout and a stenotype layout.

20. A method comprising:

providing a housing having a keyboard portion and a speaker portion;

forming a top key row, a middle key row and a bottom key row in the keyboard portion, the top row, the middle row and the bottom row immediately adjacent to each other, the top row including five keys arranged as five accidental notes within one octave and alphabetically labeled according to an abbreviated keyboard layout, the middle row including eight keys arranged as eight natural notes within the one octave and alphabetically labeled according to the layout, the bottom row including a space bar key between modifier keys; and

installing a speaker into the speaker portion, the speaker operative to emit note sounds.

21. A method comprising:

observing an alphabetic character;

pressing a key on a device, the key corresponding to the observed character, the device including a housing including a keyboard portion and a speaker portion, the keyboard portion including a top key row, a middle key row and a bottom key row immediately adjacent to each other, the top row including five keys arranged as five accidental notes within one octave and alphabetically labeled according to an abbreviated keyboard layout, the middle row including eight keys arranged as eight natural notes within the one octave and alphabetically labeled according to the layout, the bottom row including a space bar key between modifier keys, the speaker portion including a speaker operative to emit note sounds; and

hearing a note sound from the speaker.