Musical instrument with intelligent interface
AssigneeMagic Instruments, Inc.
InventorBrian Strom Fan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A musical instrument with an improved interface for playing the instrument is provided. The musical instrument may be configured with a musical scale and a key. An input interface of the musical instrument may be configured based on the scale and key to allow a player of the instrument to easily play multiple collections of notes, or chords, in a simplified manner. For example, the improved interface allows a user to play a number of chords or other collection of notes without having to depress or engage a number of sound actuators at different locations along instrument.
Claims46
A device for playing music with a configurable playing interface, comprising:
- a housing,
- a plurality of chord selectors displaced on the housing;
- an actuator displaced on the housing;
- an antenna and circuitry for communication with a remote device, the antenna in communication with the circuitry for communication with the remote device, the circuitry for communication with the remote device displaced within the housing;
- logic connected to the plurality of chord selectors and the actuator that maps note data to the plurality of chord selectors, the note data mapped to the plurality of chord selectors based on a key and scale selection associated with the device,
- the logic outputting note data in response to a first input received to a selected chord selector of the plurality of chord selectors and a second input to the actuator, the note data output to audio processing circuitry that creates audio based on the note data, the circuitry for communication with the remote device communicating at least one of the note data and the audio to the remote device;
- and
- logic for automatically mapping note data to each chord selector based on the selected scale and the selected key.
A method for playing a musical device with a configurable playing interface, comprising:
- receiving a selection of a scale and a key by the musical device;
- configuring a plurality of chord selectors on the musical device based on the scale and key;
- receiving a first input at a selected chord selector of the plurality of chord selectors;
- receiving a second input at an actuator at the musical device;
- creating note data in response to receiving the first input and the second input, the note data based on the scale and key.
A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a processor to perform a method for playing a musical device with a configurable playing interface, the method comprising:
- receiving a selection of a scale and a key by the musical device;
- configuring a plurality of chord selectors on the musical device based on the scale and key;
- receiving a first input at a selected chord selector of the plurality of chord selectors;
- receiving a second input a second input at the musical device;
- outputting one or more notes through a speaker of the musical device, the one or more notes based on the scale, key, the first input and the second input.
A device for playing music with a configurable playing interface, comprising:
- a housing,
- a plurality of chord selectors displaced on the housing;
- an actuator displaced on the housing;
- and
- logic connected to the plurality of chord selectors and the actuator that maps note data to the plurality of chord selectors, the note data mapped to the plurality of chord selectors based on a key and scale selection associated with the device,
- the logic outputting note data in response to a first input received to a selected chord selector of the plurality of chord selectors and a second input to the actuator, the note data output to audio processing circuitry that creates audio based on the note data,
- wherein a plurality of chord selectors positioned in a horizontal row along a neck of the device are the same chord type or variation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.