Interactive piano training system

• US 9,082,313 B1
• Filed: 07/21/2014
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: McCarthy Music Corp.
• Original Assignee: McCarthy Music Corp.
• Inventors: Taylor, Mark, McCarthy, Kevin Michael, McVey, Jason Michael, Ericson, Jason Mark, Eveland, Zachary Edwin, Ruscher, Thomas Hall
• Primary Examiner(s): HORN, ROBERT WAYNE
• Application Number:
  US14/337,086
• Time in Patent Office: 358 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/003 with indication of the keys or strings to be played on instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/023 Electrically operated
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/08 Practice keyboards for teaching typing G09B13/02

Abstract

A piano training device is described herein. The piano training device comprising a plurality of keys which may be illuminated by a light source associated with each key. The light source associated with each key is oriented such that the light source transmits light toward the front surface of the key. The key is further manufactured so that the light transmitted toward the front surface of the key is redirected to the top surface of the key.

Claims

1. A piano training device, comprising:

a keyboard comprising a plurality of illuminable keys, each illuminable key of the plurality of illuminable keys having an associated electroluminescent light source,

the electroluminescent light source being oriented to transmit light toward a front surface of the key, the key being configured with a light guide comprising an elongate rigid body extending in a longitudinal direction of the key, the elongate rigid body comprising;

a light receiving surface at a rearward end of the elongate rigid body and facing rearwardly to receive light from the electroluminescent light source;

an intermediate body portion, intermediate to the rearward end and a forward end of the elongate rigid body, the intermediate body portion forming a light channel for transmission of light through the light guide;

a light redirecting portion at least a portion of which at the forward end of the elongate rigid body and below a top surface of the key, at a forward end of the key, comprising an optical guide element that redirects light from the electroluminescent light source upward; and

a light release surface facing upward;

wherein the light guide is configured to redirect light transmitted from the electroluminescent light source from under a top surface of the key through the top surface of the illuminable key by receiving light from the electroluminescent light source through the light receiving surface, passing the received light through the intermediate body portion, redirecting the received light upward such that the redirected light exits the elongate rigid body through the light release surface.

2. The piano training device of claim 1, wherein the electroluminescent light source comprises one or more light emitting diodes, the light emitting diodes configured to transmit broad-spectrum light in response to one or more signals.

3. The piano training device of claim 1, wherein the electroluminescent light source is oriented such that a beam of light projected from the electroluminescent light source has a center that is parallel to the top surface of the illuminable key when the illuminable key is not depressed.

4. The piano training device of claim 1, wherein the electroluminescent light source is located below a plane comprising a playing surface of the illuminable key, the playing surface of the illuminable key comprising a portion of the top surface of the illuminable key.

5. The piano training device of claim 1, wherein the electroluminescent light source is located behind a playing surface of the illuminable key, the playing surface of the illuminable key comprising a portion of the top surface of the illuminable key.

6. The piano training device of claim 1, further comprising a controller, the controller configured to provide signals to the electroluminescent light source, the signals configured to cause the illuminable keys to be selectively illuminated.

7. The piano training device of claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured with one or more lighting circuit boards, each lighting circuit board configured with a plurality of electroluminescent light sources, each lighting circuit board configured to provide the signals to the plurality of electroluminescent light sources.

8. The piano training device of claim 6, wherein the controller further comprises a color theme manager, the color theme manager configured to determine one or more light colors in response to one or more light event notifications, the one or more determined light colors based at least in part on metadata associated with the one or more light event notifications.

9. The piano training device of claim 6, wherein the controller further comprises a key event manager, the key event manager further configured to perform one or more operations in response to one or more key event notifications, the one or more operations include at least one of:

record key event, render sound associated with key event, or generate light event associated with key event.

10. The piano training device of claim 1, wherein the light transmitted through the top surface of the illuminable key illuminates all of a playing surface of the illuminable key, the playing surface of the illuminable key comprising a portion of the top surface of the illuminable key.

11. The piano training device of claim 1, wherein the light transmitted through the top surface of the illuminable key is transmitted through the top surface such that a difference between a maximum intensity of the light transmitted through the top surface and a minimum intensity of the light transmitted through the top surface does not exceed one-tenth of the maximum intensity of the light transmitted through the top surface.

12. The piano training device of claim 1, wherein each illuminable key of the plurality of illuminable keys has an associated light guide, the associated light guide configured to further redirect the light transmitted from the electroluminescent light source through the top surface of the illuminable key.

13. The piano training device of claim 12, wherein the associated light guide is manufactured as a separate component from each illuminable key of the plurality of illuminable keys.

14. The piano training device of claim 13, wherein the associated light guide is attached to the illuminable key such that the associated light guide moves with the illuminable key when the illuminable key moves.

15. The piano training device of claim 12, wherein:

each illuminable key of the plurality of illuminable keys having an associated key shape, the associated key shape being one of a plurality of key shapes; and

the associated light guide for each illuminable key of the plurality of illuminable keys having an associated light guide shape, the associated light guide shape based at least in part on the associated key shape of the plurality of key shapes.

16. The piano training device of claim 12, wherein the associated light guide is shaped at least in part like a wedge, the wedge providing one or more optical properties, the one or more optical properties including at least one of:

increased diffusion of light proximal to the light source, decreased diffusion of light distal from the light source, increased internal refraction of light proximal to the light source, decreased internal refraction of light distal to the light source, or a constant distribution of light transmitted to the top surface of the light guide such that a difference between a maximum intensity of the light transmitted and a minimum intensity of the light transmitted does not exceed a threshold value.

17. The piano training device of claim 12, wherein the light guide is configured with a set of light transmission prevention properties such that at least a portion of the light from the light guide is prevented from being transmitted through a second light guide of a second key adjacent to the key.

18. The piano training device of claim 17, wherein the set of light transmission prevention properties includes light prevention obtained by applying a coating to one or more surfaces of the light guide.

19. The piano training device of claim 12, wherein the one or more surfaces of the light guide are inscribed with diffusion markings, the diffusion markings providing diffusion of the light emitting from a top surface of the light guide, the diffusion markings including at least one of:

cross-hatching, dimples, a matte surface, or Fresnel lensing.

20. The piano training device of claim 1, wherein the illuminable key is configured with a set of light transmission prevention properties such that at least a portion of the light from the illuminable key is prevented from being transmitted through the top surface of a second illuminable key of a second key adjacent to the key.

21. The piano training device of claim 20, wherein the set of light transmission prevention properties includes light transmission prevention obtained by placing one or more materials between pairs of illuminable keys.

22. The piano training device of claim 1, wherein the electroluminescent light source is configured to remain stationary when the illuminable key moves.