Multi-media spatial controller having proximity controls and sensors

• US 8,872,014 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2012
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Topdown Licensing LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Beamz Interactive, Inc.
• Inventors: Sandler, Dave, Myer, Cody, Riopelle, Gerald H.
• Primary Examiner(s): FLETCHER, MARLON T
• Application Number:
  US13/689,389
• Publication Number:
  US 20130138233A1
• Time in Patent Office: 698 Days
• US Class Current: 84/645
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0066 using a MIDI interface
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/20 for transposition
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/34 Switch arrangements, e.g. keyboards or mechanical switches specially adapted for electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/38 Chord
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/371 Rhythm syncopation, i.e. timing offset of rhythmic stresses or accents, e.g. note extended from weak to strong beat or started before strong beat
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/135 Musical aspects of games or videogames; Musical instrument-shaped game input interfaces game background music G10H2210/026; musical game scoring or performance evaluation G10H2210/091
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/305 using a light beam to detect key, pedal or note actuation light beams in general G10H2220/411
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/415 Infrared beams
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/421 Laser beams
• 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 2240/061 MP3, i.e. MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, lossy audio compression
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/211 Wireless transmission, e.g. of music parameters or control data by radio, infrared or ultrasound beam G10H2220/405
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/255 Optical fibre transmission for electrophonic musical instrument purposes, e.g. hum mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/285 USB, i.e. either using a USB plug as power supply or using the USB protocol to exchange data
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/321 Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/435 Gensound percussion, i.e. generating or synthesising the sound of a percussion instrument; Control of specific aspects of percussion sounds, e.g. harmonics, under the influence of hitting force, hitting position, settings or striking instruments such as mallet, drumstick, brush, hand spint percussion G10H2230/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 3/008 in which the audio signals are in digital form, i.e. employing more than two discrete digital channels data reduction aspects thereof based on psychoacoustics G10L19/02

Abstract

A controller having proximity sensors associated with a trigger, such as beam sensors, configured to generate proximity data as a function of where each beam is broken along its span. A variety of control signals are be generated, whereby each beam can be configured to be spatially controlled and mapped to mimic other controllers, such as those of a DJ controller or other entertainment device. MIDI messages may be generated in response to positioning a member in a beam as detected by the proximity sensors. Each beam may be configured into a plurality of proximity zones, where a different MIDI message is generated when the member is positioned in the respective proximity zone.

Claims

1. A device configured to control an entertainment device, comprising:

at least one trigger responsive to a selectively positionable member relative to, and spatially separated from, the at least one trigger; and

a controller responsive to the at least one trigger and configured to generate at least one control signal, the at least one control signal comprising a MIDI message configured to variably control a parameter of an audio signal or a visual signal as a function of a relative proximity of the member to the at least one trigger, wherein the MIDI message varies as the proximity of the member varies with respect to the at least one trigger, wherein the at least one trigger comprises an electronic beam having a span comprising a first proximity zone and a second proximity zone, wherein the at least one trigger is configured to generate a first said MIDI message when the member is positioned in the first proximity zone, and a second said MIDI message when the member is positioned in the second proximity zone.

2. The device as specified in claim 1 wherein the at least one control signal is configured to control a DJ player.

3. The device as specified in claim 2 wherein the at least one control signal is configured to control a light generating apparatus.

4. The device as specified in claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of electronic programs, the controller configured to generate a plurality of the MIDI message as a function of the plurality of electronic programs and the plurality of triggers.

5. The device as specified in claim 2 further comprising:

a plurality of electronic programs, the controller configured to generate a plurality of the MIDI message as a function of the plurality of electronic programs and the plurality of triggers.

6. The device as specified in claim 4 wherein each said electronic program comprises sound elements comprising a subset of a musical composition.

7. The device as specified in claim 4 wherein one of the plurality of electronic programs is associated with one of the at least one trigger.

8. The device as specified in claim 7 wherein the electronic programs are configured to be selectively associated with the one of the plurality of triggers.

9. The device as specified in claim 4 wherein the plurality of MIDI messages are configured to generate synchronized audible musical sounds as a function of the at least one trigger.

10. The device as specified in claim 9 wherein when one of the triggers is in a first state for a prolonged period of time the MIDI messages are configured to generate successive said audible musical sounds.

11. The device specified in claim 5 wherein the controller is configured to selectively associate one of the electronic programs with one of a plurality of controls of the DJ player.

12. The device as specified in claim 5 wherein the electronic programs each comprise sound elements, wherein the sound elements of each said electronic program are correlated to the sound elements of another said electronic program.

13. The device as specified in claim 12 wherein the sound elements are a subset of a musical composition.

14. The device as specified in claim 2 comprising a plurality of said triggers each configured to be controlled by a user.

15. The device as specified in claim 14 wherein the plurality of said triggers each include an electromagnetic beam.

16. The device as specified in claim 15 wherein the plurality of triggers are configured to be controlled by a user'"'"'s finger.

17. The device as specified in claim 16 wherein the plurality of said triggers are configured such that they can be simultaneously controlled by one hand of a user.

18. The device as specified in claim 1 wherein the first MIDI message and the second MIDI message correspond to different MIDI events.

19. The device as specified in claim 18 wherein the first MIDI message and the second MIDI message are configured to be generated simultaneously.

20. A computer readable medium including computer executable instructions configured to control an entertainment device, including

instructions responsive to at least one trigger responsive to a selectively positionable member relative to the at least one trigger, the member spatially separated from the at least one trigger, wherein the at least one trigger comprises an electronic beam having a span comprising a first proximity zone and a second proximity zone, wherein the instructions are configured to generate a first said MIDI message when the member is positioned in the first proximity zone, and a second said MIDI message when the member is positioned in the second proximity zone;

and

instructions configured to generate at least one control signal as a function of the at least one trigger, the at least one control signal comprising a MIDI message configured to variably control a parameter of an audio signal or a visual signal as a function of a relative proximity of the member to the at least one trigger, wherein the MIDI message varies as the proximity of the member varies with respect to the at least one trigger.

21. The computer readable medium as specified in claim 20 wherein the at least one control signal is configured to control a DJ player.

22. The computer readable medium as specified in claim 21 wherein the at least one control signal is configured to control a light generating apparatus.

23. The computer readable medium as specified in claim 20 further comprising:

instructions for operating a plurality of electronic programs and configured to generate a plurality of the MIDI message as a function of the plurality of electronic programs and the plurality of triggers.

24. The computer readable medium as specified in claim 21 further comprising:

instructions for operating a plurality of electronic programs and configured to generate a plurality of the MIDI message as a function of the plurality of electronic programs and the plurality of triggers.

25. The computer readable medium as specified in claim 23 wherein each said electronic program comprises sound elements comprising a subset of a musical composition.

26. The computer readable medium as specified in claim 23 including instructions for selectively associating one of the plurality of electronic programs with one of the at least one trigger.

27. The computer readable medium as specified in claim 23 including instructions configuring the plurality of MIDI messages to generate synchronized audible musical sounds as a function of the at least one trigger.

28. The computer readable medium specified in claim 21 including instructions configured to selectively associate one of the electronic programs with one of a plurality of controls of the DJ player.

29. The computer readable medium as specified in claim 21 wherein the electronic programs each comprise sound elements, including instructions such that the sound elements of each said electronic program are correlated to the sound elements of another said electronic program.

30. The computer readable medium as specified in claim 29 wherein the sound elements are a subset of a musical composition.

31. The computer readable medium as specified in claim 21 including instructions enabling a plurality of said triggers to be configured to be controlled by a user.

32. The computer readable medium as specified in claim 31 wherein the plurality of triggers are configured to be controlled by a user'"'"'s finger.

33. The device as specified in claim 21 wherein the first MIDI message and the second MIDI message correspond to different MIDI events.

34. The device as specified in claim 33 wherein the first MIDI message and the second MIDI message are configured to be generated simultaneously.