Interactive piano training system

• US 9,836,992 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2014
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: McCarthy Music Corp.
• Original Assignee: McCarthy Music Corp.
• Inventors: McCarthy, Kevin Michael, McVey, Jason Michael, Ericson, Jason Mark, Eveland, Zachary Edwin, Taylor, Mark, Ruscher, Thomas Hall, Czarnecki, David
• Primary Examiner(s): FLETCHER, MARLON T
• Application Number:
  US14/912,388
• Publication Number:
  US 20160284228A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,202 Days
• 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: G10G 1/02 Chord or note indicators, fixed or adjustable, for keyboard of fingerboards
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/061 LED, i.e. using a light-emitting diode as indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/066 Colour, i.e. indications with two or more different colours

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 illuminable key being configured to redirect light transmitted from the electroluminescent light source from under a top surface of the illuminable key through the top surface of the illuminable key; and

an associated light guide, the light guide configured to further redirect the light transmitted from the electroluminescent light source through the top surface of the illuminable key, the light guide being 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, the set of light transmission prevention properties including light prevention obtained by applying a coating to one or more surfaces of the light guide.

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 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 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.

10. 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.

11. The piano training device of claim 1, wherein the light guide is configured to move with the illuminable key when the illuminable key moves.

12. The piano training device of claim 1, 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.

13. The piano training device of claim 1, 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.

14. The piano training device of claim 1, 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.

15. 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.

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

17. The piano training device of claim 1, further comprising a control panel, the control panel comprising controls configured to cause one or more operations to be performed in association with the piano training device, the one or more operations including at least one of:

increase playback sound volume, decrease playback sound volume, advance playback, rewind playback, configure lighting events associated with playback, begin playback, stop playback, or select playback mode.