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US 11,404,035 B1Granted
Automated string player
OwnerMichael Stanley Kuzmainventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Invention is an attachment to any stringed instrument with a neck and fretboard/fingerboard that enables the stringed instrument to play itself. The invention comprises of a picking system, a fretting system, and an interface that allows a user to select what music they would like to play on the stringed instrument. The picking and fretting systems are releasably attached to the stringed instrument. Permanent modifications to the stringed instrument are not required to install the automated string player attachments.
Claims22
An automated string player, comprising:
- a stringed instrument with a neck, a fretting system that is attached to said stringed instrument, at least one fretting grip, and at least one fastener;
- the said at least one fretting grip being fastened to said stringed instrument with said at least one fastener;
- at least one rail and at least one drive member adapted to position an at least one fretting actuator to varied locations along said neck;
- said at least one fretting actuator adapted to engage an at least one fretting hammer against a string of said stringed instrument to fret, press, or touch said string, change the musical pitch or tone of said string, and/or provide sound on contact of said string;
- a picking system that is attached to said stringed instrument, at least one picking grip mounted to said stringed instrument, at least one picking actuator mounted to said at least one picking grip, said at least one picking actuator adapted to move at least one pick across said string of said stringed instrument to touch, pick, or pluck said string and achieve musical sound;
- and an at least one interface that enables user control of said fretting system and said picking system to play music;
- and
- said at least one picking actuator having a solenoid with no end stop to limit mechanical noise that would be produced by a shaft of the solenoid hitting an end stop.
5 more elements
An automated string player, comprising:
- a stringed instrument with a neck, a fretting system that is attached to said stringed instrument, at least one fretting grip, and at least one fastener;
- said at least one fretting grip being fastened to said stringed instrument with said at least one fastener;
- at least one rail and at least one drive member adapted to position at least one fretting actuator to varied locations along said neck;
- said at least one fretting actuator adapted to engage an at least one fretting hammer against a string of said stringed instrument to fret, press, or touch said string, change the musical pitch or tone of said string, and/or provide sound on contact of said string;
- and
- at least one sensor of optical, mechanical, and/or magnetic variety is mounted to the said at least one fretting grip for a purpose of initialization of said fretting system.
3 more elements
An automated string player, comprising:
- a picking system that is attached to a stringed instrument;
- at least one picking grip releasably mounted to said stringed instrument;
- at least one picking actuator mounted to said at least one picking grip, said at least one picking actuator adapted to move at least one pick across a string of the stringed instrument to touch, pick, or pluck said string and achieve musical sound;
- and
- said at least one picking actuator having a solenoid with no end stop to limit mechanical noise that would be produced by a shaft of the solenoid hitting an end stop.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.