Environment sensor for acoustic instrument

• US 9,518,949 B1
• Filed: 01/14/2016
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Music Nomad LLC
• Original Assignee: Music Nomad LLC
• Inventors: Rognlien, Rand, Schouten, Pieter Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): Horn, Robert W
• Application Number:
  US14/996,138
• Time in Patent Office: 334 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/00 Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0036 Specially adapted to detect a particular component all the other sub-groups of G01N33/0004 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10D 3/00 Details of, or accessories for, stringed musical instruments, e.g. slide-bars
• CPC Class Codes: G10G 7/00 Other auxiliary devices or accessories, e.g. conductors' batons or separate holders for resin or strings

Abstract

A system and method for enabling measurement of desired environmental criteria of an instrument during storage, including in some situations storage within a closely conforming instrument case. A humireader includes a planar body forming a “T” with a support face. The support face enables a user to suspend and support the body between a pair of adjacent strings allowing the body to extend through a sound hole. An environment sensing system disposed within the body collects environment data of the instrument and presents it to the user using an output system (e.g., a display) that is part of the support face.

Claims

1. An instrument environmental sensor for a musical instrument including a housing having one or more walls defining an internal cavity accessed through a sound hole having a set of size dimensions, comprising:

a body including a powered sensor, said body configured to extend into the sound hole so as to position said powered sensor proximate the internal cavity; and

a mount, coupled to the musical instrument, configured to support said body with said sensor proximate to the internal cavity;

wherein the musical instrument includes a set of strings supported over the sound hole a height distance and outside of the internal cavity, wherein a pair of adjacent strings of the set of strings have a spacing distance between them, wherein said body includes an elongate portion with a proximal end and a distal end opposite of said proximal end and having a body distance between said ends that is greater than said height distance, wherein said mount is coupled to said proximal end, wherein said sensor is disposed proximate said distal end, and wherein said mount engages said pair of adjacent strings;

wherein said mount includes a support coupled at about a right angle to said body, said support generally planar and having a support width greater than said spacing distance wherein said support suspends said body portion from said set of strings; and

wherein said support includes a topmost exterior surface facing away from the musical instrument and wherein said topmost exterior surface includes a user interface with a set of input/output elements coupled to said sensor for presenting a set of environmental conditions of said internal cavity.

2. An instrument environmental sensor for a musical instrument including a housing having one or more walls defining an internal cavity accessed through a sound hole having a set of size dimensions, comprising:

a body including a powered sensor, said body configured to extend into the sound hole so as to position said powered sensor proximate the internal cavity; and

a mount, coupled to the musical instrument, configured to support said body with said sensor proximate to the internal cavity;

wherein the musical instrument includes a set of strings supported over the sound hole a height distance and outside of the internal cavity, wherein a pair of adjacent strings of the set of strings have a spacing distance between them, wherein said body includes an elongate portion with a proximal end and a distal end opposite of said proximal end and having a body distance between said ends that is greater than said height distance, wherein said mount is coupled to said proximal end, wherein said sensor is disposed proximate said distal end, and wherein said mount engages said pair of adjacent strings;

wherein said mount includes a support coupled at about a right angle to said body, said support generally planar and having a support width greater than said spacing distance wherein said support suspends said body portion from said set of strings;

wherein said support includes a topmost exterior surface wherein said topmost surface has a height above said set of strings that does not exceed 20 millimeters; and

wherein said support includes a topmost exterior surface facing away from the musical instrument and wherein said topmost exterior surface includes a user interface with a set of input/output elements coupled to said sensor for presenting a set of environmental conditions of said internal cavity.

3. A method for monitoring a set of environmental conditions present inside a musical instrument including a housing having one or more walls defining an internal cavity accessed through a sound hole having a set of size dimensions, wherein the musical instrument includes a set of strings supported over the sound hole at a height distance, and wherein a pair of adjacent strings of the set of strings have a spacing distance between them, comprising:

a) disposing a body portion over the sound hole and between the pair of adjacent strings wherein a distal end of said body portion extends into the sound hole, said distal end including an environmental sensor;

b) supporting said distal end within the sound hole using a support portion coupled to said body portion, said support portion coupled to the pair of adjacent strings and wherein said support portion includes a topmost exterior surface that extends no more than about 20 mm above the pair of adjacent strings;

c) activating said environmental sensor responsive to a user interface available at said topmost exterior surface;

d) placing the musical instrument within a closely conforming instrument case wherein said closely conforming instrument case includes a closure system that opens and closes a cover over the set of strings wherein the set of strings and sound hole are visible when said cover is opened and wherein said cover is proximate the set of strings when closed; and

e) closing the cover while said distal end is disposed within said sound hole and said body portion is supported by said support portion without interfering with closing the cover;

wherein said user interface is visible when said cover is opened, said user interface displaying a set of environmental conditions inside the internal cavity of the musical instrument.

4. An instrument environmental sensor for a stored musical instrument including a housing having one or more walls defining an internal cavity accessed through a sound hole having a set of size dimensions with the stored musical instrument including a set of strings overlying the sound hole and extending from the housing along a neck to a headstock, the stored musical instrument disposed within an instrument case having a closely conforming interior volume complementary to an exterior profile of the musical instrument, the instrument case including a moveable door to open and close over a set of top surfaces of the housing, the set of strings, the neck and the headstock, comprising:

an electronic environmental sensing system including a power source, a control, a user interface, and a sensor, said electronic environmental sensing system configured to measure a set of environmental conditions;

a body containing said electronic environmental sensing system, said body including a proximal end and a distal end opposite from said proximal end, said sensor disposed at said distal end, said body sized to present said distal end through the sound hole and dispose said sensor within the internal cavity; and

means, coupled to said proximal and to the musical instrument, for supporting said body with said sensor disposed within the internal cavity, said means for supporting said body including a top generally planar surface disposed above the set of strings and including at least a portion of said user interface;

wherein the means for supporting said body does not interfere with closing the moveable door while supporting said body with said sensor disposed within the internal cavity.

5. The instrument environmental sensor of claim 4 wherein said set of environmental conditions includes at least one of temperature or humidity or a combination thereof.