Electronic hymnal system

• US 8,680,383 B1
• Filed: 08/22/2012
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callen Grant, Henry P. Taylor
• Original Assignee: Callen Grant, Henry P. Taylor
• Inventors: Taylor, Henry P., Grant, Callen
• Primary Examiner(s): Horn, Robert W
• Application Number:
  US13/591,452
• Time in Patent Office: 580 Days
• Field of Search: 844/77.R, 844/70.R
• US Class Current: 84/477.R
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 19/002 Free-standing music stands leaf turners or devices for holding books open B42D9/00; with movable strip reading apparatus B42D19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/023 Electrically operated

Abstract

An electronic hymnal system comprises a music stand and a hymnal display. The display is capable of playing the hymns to let users get familiar or practice the hymns while viewing the scores and lyrics in different zoom level according to user'"'"'s preference. The device comprises a touch screen on the front of the device, a power ON/OFF button, a SD card slot, a disk input slot, a front cover attached to the device, a battery compartment, an earphone port, volume control button and battery charge port. The user can disable the function of playing the hymns, only review the score and lyrics in a group gathering situation.

Claims

1. An electronic hymnal system (100) capable of displaying hymn scores and lyrics via remote control to synchronize with hymn music played during a group gathering, the system comprising:

(a) a music stand (110) with an inclined surface (112), a height-adjustable leg (118) and a base (114), wherein the inclined surface has adjustable angle, wherein a strap (116) is disposed at bottom edge of the inclined surface (112);

(b) a display (120) disposed on said inclined surface of said music stand;

wherein the display is a rectangular cuboid with a top surface (123a), bottom surface (123b), first side surface (123c), second side surface (123d), third side surface (123e) and fourth side surface (123f);

the display further comprising;

(i) a touch screen (121) disposed on said front surface (123a) of the device to display hymn scores and lyrics;

(ii) a microphone (122) disposed on said front surface (123a) of the device to receive audio signal input;

(iii) a power ON/OFF button (130) disposed on said first side surface (123c) to turn on or off the display;

(iv) a first battery compartment (170) disposed on said bottom surface (123b), wherein one or a plurality of batteries reside inside to provide power to the display;

(v) an electronic storage (172) disposed inside the display as storage place for hymn music scores and lyrics;

(vi) a receiver (174) disposed inside the display; and

(vii) a display microprocessor (176) disposed inside the display, wherein the display microprocessor is operatively connected to said touch screen, microphone, battery compartment, storage, power ON/OFF button and receiver;

(c) a remote controller (250) wherein the remote controller has a top surface (260) and bottom surface (270), the remote comprising;

(i) a transmitter (252), wherein said receiver is configured to receive signals from the transmitter;

(ii) a zoom-in button (262), a zoom-out button (263), a scroll-up button (264), a scroll-down button (265), a flip-forward button (266), a flip-backward button (267), wherein all the buttons are disposed on the top surface (260);

(iii) a second battery compartment (271) disposed on the back surface (270) of the remote control, wherein one or a plurality of batteries reside inside to provide power to the remote control;

(iv) a remote control microprocessor (280) operatively connected to each of the transmitter (282), zoom-in button, zoom-out button, scroll-up button, scroll-down button, flip-forward button and flip-backward button;

wherein;

the remote control microprocessor is configured to receive input signal from zoom in button, zoom out button, scroll up button, scroll down button, flip forward button or flip backward button, whereupon the remote control microprocessor generates an output command of zoom-in, zoom-out, scroll-up, scroll-down, flip-forward or flip-backward to the transmitter, the transmitter then sends a corresponding transmitter signal to the display receiver; and

the display microprocessor is configured to receive an audio input from said microphone during a music session of group gathering, analyze the audio characteristics of the input, compare the stored hymn scores within said storage, find a best match within the storage, present the best match to the touch screen;

wherein said display receiver is configured to receive signal of zoom in, zoom out, scroll up, scroll down, flip forward or flip backward from said remote controller transmitter, forward the received signal to the display microprocessor, whereupon the microprocessor generates an output command to the touch screen to zoom in, zoom out, scroll up, scroll down, flip forward or flip backward the hymn songs and lyrics on the screen.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the display (120) includes a front cover (160) permanently or removably attached to the device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the outside of the front cover contains logo of the manufacturer.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the inside of the front cover contains a signature area (152) where the user can put his/her signature and/or name.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein one or a plurality of mini-speakers (190) are also disposed on the fourth side surface (123f) of the display, wherein the display is configured to play music audio or video files with the audio output to the speakers.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the display (120) further composes an earphone port (180) disposed on the third side surface (123e) of the display, wherein the display is configured to play music audio or video files with the audio output to an external earphone through the earphone port, wherein the display (120) further comprises volume control buttons on the third side surface (123e) of the display, wherein volume control buttons (187) is pressed to increase volume and volume control button (186) is pressed to decrease volume, wherein the volume can be muted by pressing the decreasing volume piece (186) certain times.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the display (120) further comprises the battery charge port (195) disposed on the fourth side surface (123f) of the display, wherein the battery of the display is operatively connected to the charge port and re-charged by external power supply through said charge port.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the battery charge port is also a USB port, wherein the USB port is a date transfer link via USB cable between the device and external devices such as computer, smartphone, or another electronic hymnal device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the USB port is a regular USB port or mini-USB port.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said music stand has a built-in power charge port (119) for said display.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein display (120) further comprises an SD card reader/writer with a card input slot (140) disposed on a side surface (123a) of said display, wherein the display microprocessor is operatively connected to said SD card reader/writer;

wherein the microprocessor is configured to receive input signal from SD card reader, update hymn scores and lyrics stored in said internal memory with additional hymn scores and lyrics stored in the external card, transfer hymn scores and lyrics stored in said internal memory to external card via said card reader/writer.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the card reader/writer can read or write SD card, MiniSD card, Flash card, microSD card.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein display further comprises an optical disk reader/writer with a card input slot (150) disposed on a side surface (123a) of said display, wherein the display microprocessor is operatively connected to said optical disk reader/writer;

wherein the microprocessor is configured to receive input signal from optical disk reader/writer, update hymn scores and lyrics stored in said internal memory with additional hymn scores and lyrics stored in the external optical disk, transfer hymn scores and lyrics stored in said internal memory to external optical disk via said optical disk reader/writer.

14. The system claim 12, wherein the optical disk reader/writer can read or write standard Compact Disk (CD) or Digital Video Disk (DVD), or mini CD or DVD.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the display (120) further comprises a built-in Bluetooth communication module to communicate with external Bluetooth devices, wherein the Bluetooth communication module are operatively connected to said display microprocessor.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the external Bluetooth device is a Bluetooth earphone.

17. An electronic hymnal system (100) capable of displaying the hymn scores and lyrics via remote control to synchronize with hymn music played during a group gathering, the system comprising:

(a) a display (120), wherein the display is a rectangular cuboid with a top surface (123a), bottom surface (123b), first side surface (123c), second side surface (123d), third side surface (123e) and fourth side surface (123f);

the display further comprising;

(i) a touch screen (121) disposed on said front surface (123a) of the device to display hymn scores and lyrics;

(ii) a microphone (122) disposed on said front surface (123a) of the device to receive audio signal input;

(iii) a power ON/OFF button (130) disposed on said first side surface (123c) to turn on or off the display;

(iv) a first battery compartment (170) disposed on said bottom surface (123b), wherein one or a plurality of batteries reside inside to provide power to the display;

(v) an electronic storage (172) disposed inside the display as storage place for hymn music scores and lyrics;

(vi) a receiver (174) disposed inside the display; and

(vii) a display microprocessor (176) disposed inside the display, wherein the display microprocessor is operatively connected to said touch screen, microphone, battery compartment, storage, power ON/OFF button and receiver;

(b) a remote controller (250) wherein the remote controller has a top surface (260) and bottom surface (270), the remote comprising;

(i) a transmitter (252), wherein said receiver is configured to receive signals from the transmitter;

(ii) a zoom-in button (262), a zoom-out button (263), a scroll-up button (264), a scroll-down button (265), a flip-forward button (266), a flip-backward button (267), wherein all the buttons are disposed on the top surface (260);

(iii) a second battery compartment (271) disposed on the back surface (270) of the remote control, wherein one or a plurality of batteries reside inside to provide power to the remote control;

(iv) a remote control microprocessor (280) operatively connected to each of the transmitter (282), zoom-in button, zoom-out button, scroll-up button, scroll-down button, flip-forward button and flip-backward button;

wherein;

the remote control microprocessor is configured to receive input signal from zoom in button, zoom out button, scroll up button, scroll down button, flip forward button or flip backward button, whereupon the remote control microprocessor generates an output command of zoom-in, zoom-out, scroll-up, scroll-down, flip-forward or flip-backward to the transmitter, the transmitter then sends a corresponding transmitter signal to the display receiver; and

the display microprocessor is configured to receive an audio input from said microphone during a music session of group gathering, analyze the audio characteristics of the input, compare to the stored hymn scores within said storage, find a best match within the storage, present the best match to the touch screen;

wherein said display receiver is configured to receive signal of zoom in, zoom out, scroll up, scroll down, flip forward or flip backward from said remote controller transmitter, forward the received signal to the display microprocessor, whereupon the microprocessor generates an output command to the touch screen to zoom in, zoom out, scroll up, scroll down, flip forward or flip backward the hymn songs and lyrics on the screen.