Electronic music display

• US 8,431,809 B1
• Filed: 09/30/2010
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomas Chan
• Original Assignee: Thomas Chan
• Inventors: Chan, Andrew Lyon, Chan, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Fletcher, Marlo
• Application Number:
  US12/894,962
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 84/483.2
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/02 Boards or like means for providing an indication of notes

Abstract

An electronic music display and methods of using the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, the electronic music display includes a user interface configured to receive one or more music files, a memory device configured to store the one or more music files, a controller configured to program the electronic music display in accordance with user specified requirements with respect to order of the one or more music files to be displayed and with respect to tempos that corresponding different sections of the one or more music files to be performed, and a display configured to display a sequence of pages of the one or more music files as programmed.

Claims

1. A method for displaying music files, comprising:

providing an electronic music display, wherein the electronic music display includes a user interface configured to receive one or more music files, a memory device configured to store the one or more music files, and a display configured to display one or more pages of the one or more music files;

programming the electronic music display in accordance with user specified requirements with respect to order of the one or more music files to be displayed and with respect to tempos that corresponding different sections of the one or more music files to be performed, wherein programming the electronic music display in accordance with user specified requirements further comprises;

for each music file, identifying a plurality of sections, each section includes;

a start location indicator configured to show a location on a displayed page where the performance is to start;

a turn location indicator configured to show a location on a displayed page where a turn to a next page is to occur, wherein the start location indicator and the turn location indicator are provided at any line of the displayed page, wherein said any line includes locations other than the beginning and ending lines of the displayed page; and

displaying a sequence of pages of the one or more music files as programmed automatically.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein programming the electronic music display in accordance with user specified requirements comprises:

selecting one or more music files to be displayed;

inserting a user specified rest period between two music files;

arranging the one or more music files to be displayed and their corresponding rest periods to form a sequence of programmed music files to be performed, and

storing the sequence of programmed music files to be performed in the memory device.

3. The method of claim 1, programming the electronic music display in accordance with user specified requirements further comprises:

for each music file, identifying a plurality of sections, each section includes;

the start location indicator is located other than at a beginning of the displayed page;

the turn location indicator is located other than at an end of the displayed page; and

a tempo for the section of the music file to be performed.

4. The method of claim 1, displaying a sequence of pages of the one or more music files as programmed comprises:

synchronizing performance using a start location indicator on a page of a music file;

determining an amount of time to turn the page using a preprogrammed tempo for the section of the music file;

monitoring an amount of time elapsed from the start location indicator during performance; and

displaying a next page automatically when the amount of time elapsed reaches the amount of time to turn the page.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein synchronizing performance comprising:

synchronizing beginning of a performance by flashing the start location indicator on first page of the sequence of pages of the one or more music files as programmed for a predetermined number of times.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein synchronizing performance further comprising:

synchronizing beginning of a performance by flashing the start location indicator on first page of the sequence of pages of the one or more music files as programmed with a sequence of color light emitting diodes.

7. A method for displaying music files, comprising:

providing an electronic music display, wherein the electronic music display includes a user interface configured to receive one or more music files, a memory device configured to store the one or more music files, and a display configured to display one or more pages of the one or more music files;

programming the electronic music display in accordance with user specified requirements with respect to order of the one or more music files to be displayed and with respect to a plurality of turn page locations corresponding to different sections of the one or more music files to be performed, wherein programming the electronic music display in accordance with user specified requirements further comprises;

for each music file, identifying a plurality of sections, each section includes;

a start location indicator configured to show a location on a displayed page where the performance is to start;

a turn location indicator configured to show a location on a displayed page where a turn to a next page is to occur, wherein the start location indicator and the turn location indicator are provided at any line of the displayed page, wherein said any line includes locations other than the beginning and ending lines of the displayed page; and

displaying a sequence of pages of the one or more music files as programmed in accordance with one or more turn page commands received by the electronic music display.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein programming the electronic music display in accordance with user specified requirements comprises:

selecting one or more music files to be displayed;

inserting a user specified rest period between two music files;

arranging the one or more music files to be displayed and their corresponding rest periods to form a sequence of programmed music files to be performed; and

storing the sequence of programmed music files to be performed in the memory device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the start location indicator is located other than at a beginning of the displayed page; and

the turn location indicator is located other than at an end of the displayed page.

10. The method of claim 7, displaying a sequence of pages of the one or more music files as programmed comprises:

receiving a turn page command from a remote controller;

determining whether the turn page command is valid;

if the turn page command is valid, displaying a next page; and

if the turn page command is not valid, displaying current page being displayed.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining whether the turn page command is valid comprises:

monitoring an amount of time elapsed since last turn page command is received;

comparing the amount of time elapsed to a threshold preset delay programmed for a section of music of the current page;

if the amount of time elapsed is larger or equal to the threshold present delay, displaying the next page; and

if the amount of time elapsed is smaller than the threshold present delay, displaying the current page being displayed.

12. An electronic music display comprises:

a user interface configured to receive one or more music files;

a memory device configured to store the one or more music files;

a controller configured to program the electronic music display in accordance with user specified requirements with respect to order of the one or more music files to be displayed and with respect to tempos that corresponding different sections of the one or more music files to be performed, wherein a start location indicator configured to show a location on a displayed page where the performance is to start; and

a turn location indicator configured to show a location on a displayed page where a turn to a next page is to occur, wherein the start location indicator and the turn location indicator are provided at any line of the displayed page, wherein said any line includes locations other than the beginning and ending lines of the displayed page; and

a display configured to display a sequence of pages of the one or more music files as programmed.

13. The electronic music display of claim 12 further comprises:

a program button configured to allow a user to program the electronic music display to display one or more music files for performance or for practice.

14. The electronic music display of claim 12 further comprises:

a performance button configured to display a set of user programmed music files consecutively during a performance.

15. The electronic music display of claim 12 further comprises:

a manual button configured to display a music file in manual mode, wherein a next page is displayed in response to a next button being pressed, and a previous page is displayed in response to a previous button being pressed.

16. The electronic music display of claim 12 further comprises:

a metronome configured to display a pre-programmed tempo for a section of a music file.

17. The electronic music display of claim 12 further comprises:

a wireless network interface configured to support wireless communications between the electronic music display and a remote controller.

18. The electronic music display of claim 12 further comprises:

the start location indicator is located other than at a beginning of the displayed page; and

the turn location indicator is located other than at an end of the displayed page.

19. The electronic music display of claim 12, wherein the controller comprises a processor and its associated software and hardware control logic.

20. The electronic music display of claim 12, wherein the user interface comprises a touch screen configured to implement user control buttons with the touch screen display.