Musical input device and dynamic thresholding

• US 9,311,907 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2014
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Incident Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Incident Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Beck, Idan
• Primary Examiner(s): Qin, Jianchun
• Application Number:
  US14/216,523
• Publication Number:
  US 20150262559A1
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 846/45
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0016 Means for indicating which keys, frets or strings are to be actuated, e.g. using lights or leds
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0551 using variable capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0558 using variable resistors
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/342 for guitar-like instruments with or without strings and with a neck on which switches or string-fret contacts are used to detect the notes being played electric guitars in which the tones are generated by the vibration of strings G10H3/18
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/301 Fret-like switch array arrangements for guitar necks
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/395 Acceleration sensing or accelerometer use, e.g. 3D movement computation by integration of accelerometer data, angle sensing with respect to the vertical, i.e. gravity sensing. conductor baton movement sensing G10H2220/206, angle sensing without reference to gravity G10H2220/391; player body joint angle sensing G10H2220/321
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/525 Piezoelectric transducers for vibration sensing or vibration excitation in the audio range; Piezoelectric strain sensing, e.g. as key velocity sensor; Piezoelectric actuators, e.g. key actuation in response to a control voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 3/143 characterised by the use of a piezoelectric or magneto-strictive transducer
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 3/18 using a string, e.g. electric guitar mechanical features G10D1/085

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for detecting vibrations in one or more strings of a stringed input device, detecting contact between the string and a contact in an array of contacts. The contacts detected and the vibrations can be registered, processed, and interpreted as musical notes. In some embodiments, the vibration inputs are only registered if they are intended inputs rather than inputs caused by the mechanical coupling of vibrations across the strings.

Claims

1. A method of registering inputs in a stringed input device comprising:

detecting, with a first sensor, a vibration in a first string;

detecting, with a second sensor, a vibration in a second string that is caused by a mechanical coupling of the vibration of the first string with the second string;

determining a thresholding ratio describing a degree to which the vibration in the first string caused the vibration in the second string;

detecting a subsequent vibration in the first string and a subsequent vibration in the second string;

determining whether an amplitude of the subsequent vibration in the second string is greater than a dynamic threshold amplitude that is a function of the amplitude of the subsequent vibration of the first string and the thresholding ratio.

2. The method of registering inputs in a stringed input device of claim 1, further comprising:

passing zero signal to a processor when the amplitude of the subsequent vibration of the second string is less than the dynamic threshold amplitude.

3. The method of registering inputs in a stringed input device of claim 1, further comprising:

registering, in a processor, the subsequent vibration of the second string as an input when the amplitude of the subsequent vibration of the second string is greater than the dynamic threshold amplitude.

4. The method of registering inputs in a stringed input device of claim 3, wherein detecting the subsequent vibration in the first string further comprises:

detecting that the amplitude of the subsequent vibration of the first string has increased to a degree to which the amplitude of the subsequent vibration of the second string is no longer greater than the dynamic threshold amplitude; and

sending, to the processor, a cancel signal for canceling the registration of the subsequent vibration of the second string as an input.

5. The method of registering inputs in a stringed input device of claim 1, further comprising opening a time window to monitor the subsequent vibration in the first string and the subsequent vibration in the second string.

6. The method of registering inputs in a stringed input device of claim 5, further comprising:

detecting a peak amplitude of the first string within the window; and

wherein determining whether an amplitude of the subsequent vibration in the second string is greater than a dynamic threshold amplitude comprises determining whether the amplitude of the subsequent vibration in the second string is greater than the dynamic threshold amplitude.

7. An input device comprising:

an array of strings suspended between a head and a bridge;

a detection circuit electronically coupled with the strings and configured to detect vibrations in the strings, wherein the detection circuit comprises a piezoelectric sensor coupled with each string, wherein each piezoelectric sensor produces a voltage signal having an amplitude;

a memory device configured to store a thresholding ratio describing a degree to which the vibration in the first string caused the vibration in the second string;

wherein the detection circuit is further configured to detect a subsequent vibration in the first string and a subsequent vibration in the second string; and

a processor configured to determine whether the amplitude of the subsequent vibration in the second string is greater than a dynamic threshold amplitude that is a function of subsequent amplitude of the first string and the thresholding ratio.

8. The input device of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive, from the detection circuit, a voltage signal representing a calibration vibration of a first string in the array of strings;

receive, from the detection circuit, a cross talk calibration voltage signal representing vibration of a second string in the array of strings that is caused by mechanical coupling of the vibration of the first string with the second string; and

store a thresholding ratio describing the degree to which the calibration vibration in the first string caused the cross talk calibration vibration in the second string.

9. The input device of claim 7, further comprising:

a register configured to accept a vibration input from the processor when the amplitude of the subsequent vibration in the second string is greater than a dynamic threshold amplitude that is a function of subsequent amplitude of the first string and the thresholding ratio; and

a trigger detection processor configured to interpret the vibration input as a musical note.

10. The input device of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to pass zero signal to the register when the amplitude of the subsequent vibration of the second string is less than the dynamic threshold amplitude.

11. The input device of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a signal describing that the amplitude of the subsequent vibration of the first string has increased to a degree to which the amplitude of the subsequent vibration of the second string is no longer greater than the dynamic threshold amplitude; and

send, to the register, a cancel signal for canceling the registration of the subsequent vibration of the second string as an input.

12. The input device of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to open a time window to monitor the subsequent vibration in the first string and the subsequent vibration in the second string.

13. The input device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to:

detecting a peak amplitude of the first string within the window; and

wherein determining whether an amplitude of the subsequent vibration in the second string is greater than a dynamic threshold amplitude comprises determining whether the amplitude of the subsequent vibration in the second string is greater than the dynamic threshold amplitude.

14. The input device of claim 7, wherein the array of strings is suspended over an array of contacts, and wherein the input device further comprises:

a string contact detection circuit electronically coupled with the strings and with the contacts and configured to detect string contact between strings in the array of strings and contacts in the array of contacts.

15. The input device of claim 14, wherein the string contact detection circuit is electronically coupled with the processor, wherein the processor is configured to receive string contact information, and wherein the processor is further configured to interpret the vibration input and the string contact information as a string down event.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising:

a medium configured to store computer-readable instructions thereon; and

the computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processing device cause the processing device to perform a method, comprising;

detecting, with a first sensor, a vibration in a first string;

detecting, with a second sensor, a vibration in a second string that is caused by a mechanical coupling of the vibration of the first string with the second string;

determining a thresholding ratio describing a degree to which the vibration in the first string caused the vibration in the second string;

detecting a subsequent vibration in the first string and a subsequent vibration in the second string;

determining whether an amplitude of the subsequent vibration in the second string is greater than a dynamic threshold amplitude that is a function of the subsequent amplitude of the first string and the thresholding ratio.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, the instructions further causing the processing device to perform the steps of:

passing zero signal to a processor when the amplitude of the subsequent vibration of the second string is less than the dynamic threshold amplitude.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, the instructions further causing the processing device to perform the steps of:

registering, in a processor, the subsequent vibration of the second string as an input when the amplitude of the subsequent vibration of the second string is greater than the dynamic threshold amplitude.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein detecting the subsequent vibration in the first string further comprises:

detecting that the amplitude of the subsequent vibration of the first string has increased to a degree to which the amplitude of the subsequent vibration of the second string is no longer greater than the dynamic threshold amplitude; and

sending, to the processor, a cancel signal for canceling the registration of the subsequent vibration of the second string as an input.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, the instructions further causing the processing device to perform the steps of:

opening a time window to monitor the subsequent vibration in the first string and the subsequent vibration in the second string;

detecting a peak amplitude of the first string within the window; and

wherein determining whether an amplitude of the subsequent vibration in the second string is greater than a dynamic threshold amplitude comprises determining whether the amplitude of the subsequent vibration in the second string is greater than the dynamic threshold amplitude.