Lighted drum and related systems and methods

• US 9,536,506 B1
• Filed: 02/11/2015
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jim Melhart Piano And Organ Company
• Original Assignee: Jim Melhart Piano And Organ Company
• Inventors: Eanes, Samuel David, Melhart, Jimmie Ray
• Primary Examiner(s): Donels, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US14/619,559
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 844/64.R, 844/64.A
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G10D 13/02 Drums; Tambourines with drumheads

Abstract

A lighted drum or other article may have a LED strip light and a wireless receiver/decoder in communication with the LED strip light. The wireless receiver/decoder may be configured to receive wireless control signals from a remote computer and control operation of the LED strip light in response to the control signals. Some embodiments may include a trigger assembly engaged with a drum head; a wireless receiver/decoder in communication with the trigger assembly; and at least one LED strip light in communication with the wireless receiver/decoder. The trigger assembly may be configured to generate a trigger signal in response to movement of the drum head. The wireless receiver/decoder may be configured to receive the trigger signal and wireless control signals and control operation of the at least one LED strip light in response to the trigger signal and the control signals. Related systems and methods are also described.

Claims

1. A lighted drum comprising:

a drum;

a LED strip light disposed on said drum;

a battery in electrical communication with said LED strip light;

a wireless receiver/decoder in communication with said battery and said LED strip light;

wherein said wireless receiver/decoder is configured to receive wireless control signals and control operation of said LED strip light in response to said control signals;

a sensor disposed on said drum;

wherein said sensor is selected from GPS sensor, magnetometer, accelerometer, and a combination thereof; and

a transmitter in communication with said sensor;

said sensor being configured for sensing a condition of said drum and communicating a signal representative of said condition to said transmitter;

said transmitter being configured for wirelessly transmitting said signal to a receiver associated with a remote computer.

2. The drum of claim 1 wherein said battery and said wireless receiver/decoder are disposed on a drum carrier to which said drum is removably attached.

3. The drum of claim 1 wherein said condition is selected from location, orientation, velocity, acceleration, and a combination thereof.

4. A lighted drum system comprising:

(a) a plurality of drums each comprising

a LED strip light;

a battery in electrical communication with said LED strip light;

a wireless receiver/decoder in communication with said battery and said LED strip light; and

(b) a computer located remote from said plurality of drums and being in wireless communication with said plurality of drums, said computer being programmed for sending wireless control signals to each of said plurality of drums;

wherein each of said wireless receiver/decoders is configured to receive said wireless control signals and control operation of the respective LED strip light in response to said control signals;

wherein at least one of said plurality of drums further comprises a transmitter and a sensor configured for sensing a condition of said at least one drum and communicating a condition signal representative of said condition to said transmitter;

wherein said transmitter is configured for wirelessly transmitting said condition signal to a receiver associated with said computer;

wherein said computer is configured for generating said control signals at least in part based on said condition signal; and

wherein at least some of said control signals are configured for controlling a characteristic of light emitted from one or more of said LED strip lights in response to said condition signal.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said characteristic is selected from color, intensity, duration, and a combination thereof.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said characteristic is varied as a function of one or more variables.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said one or more variables includes a time.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein said condition is selected from location, orientation, velocity, acceleration, and a combination thereof.

9. A method of controlling lights on a plurality of drums, comprising:

(a) providing a plurality of lighted drums, each of said plurality of lighted drums comprising

a LED strip light;

a battery in electrical communication with said LED strip light; and

a wireless receiver/decoder in communication with said battery and said LED strip light;

(b) providing a computer, said computer being located remote from said plurality of drums and being in wireless communication with said wireless receiver/decoder on each of said plurality of drums;

(c) measuring, using a sensor attached to at least one of said plurality of lighted drums, a condition signal representative of a condition of said at least one of said plurality of lighted drums;

(d) sending said condition signal to said computer; and

(e) causing said computer to send wireless control signals to each of said plurality of drums;

wherein said sensor is selected from GPS sensor, magnetometer, accelerometer, and a combination thereof;

wherein said wireless control signals are at least in part based on said condition signal;

wherein each of said wireless receiver/decoders is configured to receive said wireless control signals and control operation of the respective LED strip light in response to said control signals.

10. A drum lighting system comprising:

at least one drum comprising a drum head;

a trigger assembly engaged with said drum head;

a wireless receiver/decoder in communication with said trigger assembly; and

at least one LED strip light in communication with said wireless receiver/decoder;

wherein said trigger assembly is configured to generate a trigger signal in response to movement of said drum head;

wherein said wireless receiver/decoder is configured to receive said trigger signal and wireless control signals and control operation of said at least one LED strip light in response to said trigger signal and said control signals;

wherein said trigger assembly comprises a piezoelectric sensor configured for sensing an amount of flexure of said drum head; and

at least some of said control signals are configured for controlling a characteristic of light emitted from said at least one LED strip light in response to said amount of flexure.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said at least one LED strip light is mounted on said at least one drum.

12. The system of claim 10 further comprising a computer located remote from said at least one drum, said computer being in wireless communication with said wireless receiver/decoder and configured to generate said control signals.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein said characteristic is proportional to said amount of flexure.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein said characteristic comprises a first color of light if said amount of flexure falls within a first range of flexure, and wherein said characteristic comprises a second color of light if said amount of flexure falls within a second range of flexure.