Piano Keyboard with Key Touch Point Detection

• US 20130327200A1
• Filed: 06/07/2012
• Published: 12/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gary S. Pogoda
• Original Assignee: Gary S. Pogoda
• Inventors: Pogoda, Gary S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,710,344 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 84/626
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0008 Associated control or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/395 Special musical scales, i.e. other than the 12- interval equally tempered scale; Special input devices therefor keyboards G10H2220/221
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/096 using a touch screen touch screen note input, e.g. using a displayed keyboard G10H2220/241; personal digital assistant [PDA] G10H2230/015
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/241 on touchscreens, i.e. keys, frets, strings, tablature or staff displayed on a touchscreen display for note input purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/015 PDA [personal digital assistant] or palmtop computing devices used for musical purposes, e.g. portable music players, tablet computers, e-readers or smart phones in which mobile telephony functions need not be used touch-screen interfaces G10H2220/096

Abstract

The present invention relates to an application for an iPad or similar electronic device having a touch screen. It provides a sensor to detect the touch position along the vertical length of a key as it is being engaged and to then offset the notes of the keyboard accordingly. This enables several octaves of notes to be accessed on the touch screen at any given time with a key size that is sufficient for real time playing. This arrangement further enables the incremental offset of the note pitches in a continuous manner to emulate the “string stretching” and “fretless neck” techniques of guitars and basses. The invention further provides a screen overlay to physically define the borders and travel of the on-screen keys thereby emulating the tactile feedback of real keys, again in a manner sufficient for real time playing.

Claims

1. A piano-type keyboard apparatus including:

a plurality of piano-type keys, each of said keys having a length;

one of said piano-type keys being designated a detection key and including touch detection means for detecting the point of touch along the length thereof, and

control means for controlling a function of said piano-type keys in response to said touch detection means.

2. The piano-type keyboard apparatus as claimed in claim 1 where said function control includes means for the setting of the musical pitches of at least some portion of said piano-type keys.

3. The piano-type keyboard apparatus as claimed in claim 1 where at least some portion of such touch points so detected on said detection key are each associated with some musical pitch.

4. The piano-type keyboard apparatus as claimed in claim 1 where upon such touch point detection the musical pitch of said detection key is set to the musical pitch so associated with said touch point.

5. The piano-type keyboard apparatus as claimed in claim 1 where the musical pitches of at least some of said piano-type keys in proximity to said detection key are set in accordance with the musical pitches of a similar portion of piano keyboard keys in similar proximity to the piano key whose musical pitch relatively corresponds with said detection key musical pitch.

6. The piano-type keyboard apparatus as claimed in claim 2 further including at least one pitch selection means to select the musical pitches to be so associated with said touch points.

7. The piano-type keyboard apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said musical pitch selection relates to at least one musical key.

8. The piano-type keyboard apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein said musical pitch selection relates to at least one musical octave.

9. The piano-type keyboard apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein said musical pitch selection relates to at least one musical note.

10. The piano-type keyboard apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein said musical pitch selection is in some part in accordance with one or more musical cents.

11. The piano-type keyboard apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said piano-type keys can function as piano-type touch screen keys.

12. A touch screen overlay comprised of an outline of at least one designated touch area of a touch screen apparatus, at least a portion of said outline being constructed so as to present a tactile feeling to a person using the same, and means for holding said overlay on said touch screen apparatus.

13. The touch screen overlay as claimed in claim 12 wherein a portion of said outline is of construction sufficient to retain its delineation of said designated touch area upon inadvertent contact by the touches directed at such touch area.

14. The touch screen overlay as claimed in claim 12 wherein a portion of said outline is of construction sufficient to constrain said directed touches to within said designated touch areas upon inadvertent slippage of such touch.

15. The touch screen overlay as claimed in claim 12 wherein a portion of said outline is of construction sufficient to channel said directed touches into said designated touch area upon initiation of such touch.

16. The touch screen overlay as claimed in claim 12 further comprised of a cushioning layer adapted to cover at least a portion of said designated touch area and wherein at least a portion of said cushioning layer can be temporarily deformed by the contact pressure of said directed touches, said deformation being in a manner so as to subsequently afford such touches closer proximity to the touch surface of such touch areas so as to then enable said touch screen apparatus to detect such touches in normal fashion.

17. The touch screen overlay as claimed in claim 16 wherein at least a portion of said deformation is comprised of the compressing of a part of said cushioning layer.

18. The touch screen overlay as claimed in claim 16 wherein at least a portion of said deformation is comprised of the depressing of a part of said cushioning layer.

19. The touch screen overlay as claimed in claim 16 wherein at least a portion of said deformation is comprised of the bending of a part of said cushioning layer.

20. The touch screen overlay as claimed in claim 16 wherein at least a portion of said deformation is comprised of the stretching of a part of said cushioning layer.

21. The touch screen overlay as claimed in claim 12 further including attachment means for attaching at least a part of said overlay to a part of said touch screen apparatus.

22. The touch screen overlay as claimed in claim 21 wherein said attachment means includes a part of said overlay extending around a part of said touch screen apparatus.

23. The touch screen overlay as claimed in claim 21 wherein said attachment means includes a part of said overlay having an adhesive surface.

24. The touch screen overlay as claimed in claim 21 wherein said attachment means includes a part of said overlay having a non-slip surface.

25. The touch screen overlay as claimed in claim 21 wherein said attachment means includes a part of said overlay having a magnetic surface.

26. The touch screen overlay as claimed in claim 21 wherein said attachment means includes a part of said overlay having a clinging surface.

27. The touch screen overlay as claimed in claim 12 wherein at least a portion of said designated touch areas correspond at least in part to at least one touch screen key.

28. The touch screen overlay as claimed in claim 12 wherein at least a portion of said touch screen keys correspond to at least one piano-type touch screen key.

29. (canceled)