Systems and methods for calibrating a musical device

• US 10,657,943 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2018
• Issued: 05/19/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sunland Information Technology Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Sunland Information Technology Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yan, Bin
• Primary Examiner(s): Donels, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US16/163,804
• Publication Number:
  US 20190051277A1
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• Field of Search: 84200
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 13/00 Indicating or recording presence, absence, or direction, of movement electric switches H01H; counting moving objects G06M7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/00 Teaching music metronomes G04F5/02
• CPC Class Codes: G10C 1/02 of upright pianos
• CPC Class Codes: G10C 1/04 of grand pianos
• CPC Class Codes: G10C 3/00 Details or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: G10C 3/12 Keyboards; Keys
• CPC Class Codes: G10C 3/26 Pedals or pedal mechanisms G10C3/14 takes precedence; Manually operated sound modification means
• CPC Class Codes: G10F 1/02 Pianofortes with keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/00 Details of electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0008 Associated control or indicating means
• 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 1/344 Structural association with individual keys electrically operated wind-actuated organs G10B3/22
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/44 Tuning means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/015 Musical staff, tablature or score displays, e.g. for score reading during a performance. graphical musical score editing G10H2220/121; musical score displays resulting from a transcription G10H2210/086
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/091 Graphical user interface [GUI] specifically adapted for electrophonic musical instruments, e.g. interactive musical displays, musical instrument icons or menus; Details of user interactions therewith GUI in general G06F3/048
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/201 for movement interpretation, i.e. capturing and recognizing a gesture or a specific kind of movement, e.g. to control a musical instrument
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/221 Keyboards, i.e. configuration of several keys or key-like input devices relative to one another details of individual keys or key-like devices G10H2220/265; continuous keyboards or keyboards implementing specific musical scales, e.g. quartertone G10H2210/395; switch matrix keyboards, e.g. on guitar necks G10H2220/295
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/275 Switching mechanism or sensor details of individual keys, e.g. details of key contacts, hall effect or piezoelectric sensors used for key position or movement sensing purposes; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/305 using a light beam to detect key, pedal or note actuation light beams in general G10H2220/411
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/011 Hybrid piano, e.g. combined acoustic and electronic piano with complete hammer mechanism as well as key-action sensors coupled to an electronic sound generator

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method and system for calibrating a musical device. In some embodiments, a method for calibrating a musical device includes: energizing an actuator to actuate a key using a force corresponding to a first intensity level; obtaining, from a sensor, a first sensor signal representing motion information of the key corresponding to application of the force; and calibrating the musical device based on the first sensor signal.

Claims

1. A system for calibrating a musical device, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor configured to communicate with the memory, to;

select a first intensity level from a plurality of predetermined intensity levels, the first intensity level corresponding to a first reference sensor signal according to mapping information;

energize an actuator to actuate a key using a force corresponding to the first intensity level;

obtain, from a sensor, a first sensor signal representing motion information of the key corresponding to application of the force;

calibrate the musical device based at least in part on the first sensor signal by updating the mapping information,

wherein to update the mapping information, the processor is further to;

determine a second intensity level representing a lower limit of the plurality of predetermined intensity levels;

determine a third intensity level representing an upper limit of the plurality of predetermined intensity levels; and

update the mapping information based at least in part on the second intensity level and the third intensity level.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein to calibrate the musical device based on the first sensor signal, the processor is further to associate the first intensity level with the first sensor signal for storage.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein to calibrate the musical device based on the first sensor signal, the processor is further to update a first relationship between the first intensity level and at least one musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) level based on the first sensor signal.

4. The system of claim 1, to determine the second intensity level, the processor is further to:

identify a first original intensity level, a second original intensity level, and a third original intensity level, wherein the third original intensity level is an intensity level between the first original intensity level and the second original intensity level;

determine whether the third original intensity level is adjacent to the second original intensity level;

in response to determining that the second original intensity level is not adjacent to the third original intensity level, energize an actuator to actuate a key based on the second original intensity level;

detect a signal indicative of depression of the key; and

determine the second intensity level based on the signal.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein to update the mapping information, the processor is further to:

determine a difference between a value of the second intensity level and a value of the third intensity level; and

update the mapping information based at least in part on the difference.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein to update the mapping information, the processor is further to:

determine a second reference sensor signal corresponding to the second intensity level according to the mapping information;

and update the mapping information based at least in part on the second reference sensor signal and the third intensity level.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein to update the mapping information based at least in part on the second reference sensor signal and the third intensity level, the processor is further to:

update the mapping information based on an interpolation method.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the interpolation method comprises at least one of a linear interpolation, a polynomial interpolation, or a spline interpolation.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of an opto-electric sensor, a magneto-electric sensor, or a piezo-electric sensor.

10. The system of claim 2, to associate the first intensity level with the first sensor signal for storage, the processes is further configured to:

store information related to the intensity level in association with one or more portions of the first sensor signal, wherein the information related to the intensity level includes number of the intensity level and an amount of force corresponding to the intensity level.

11. A method, comprising:

selecting a first intensity level from a plurality of predetermined intensity levels, the first intensity level corresponding to a first reference sensor signal according to mapping information;

energizing an actuator to actuate a key using a force corresponding to the first intensity level;

obtaining, from a sensor, a first sensor signal representing motion information of the key corresponding to application of the force; and

calibrating, by a processor, the musical device based at least in part on the first sensor signal by updating mapping information,

wherein to update the mapping information, the processor is further to;

determine a second intensity level representing a lower limit of the plurality of predetermined intensity levels;

determine a third intensity level representing an upper limit of the plurality of predetermined intensity levels; and

update the mapping information based at least part in on the second intensity level and the third intensity level.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein calibrating the musical device based on the first sensor signal comprises:

associate the first intensity level with the first sensor signal for storage.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein calibrating the musical device based on the first sensor signal comprises:

updating a first relationship between the first intensity level and at least one musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) level based on the first sensor signal.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein updating the mapping information comprises:

determining a difference between a value of the second intensity level and a value of the third intensity level; and

updating the mapping information based at least in part on the difference.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein updating the mapping information comprises:

determining a second reference sensor signal corresponding to the second intensity level according to the mapping information;

and

updating the mapping information based on the at least in part on the second reference sensor signal and the third intensity level.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein to update the mapping information based at least in part on the second reference sensor signal and the third intensity level, the processor is further to:

update the mapping information based on an interpolation method.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the interpolation method comprises at least one of a linear interpolation, a polynomial interpolation, or a spline interpolation.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of an opto-electric sensor, a magneto-electric sensor, or a piezo-electric sensor.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein associating the first intensity level with the first sensor signal for storage comprises:

storing information related to the intensity level in association with one or more portions of the first sensor signal, wherein the information related to the intensity level includes number of the intensity level and an amount of force corresponding to the intensity level.