US 4,126,070 A · Keyboard musical instrument

Abstract

The hand-held instrument is preferably supported by a strap from the neck for one or two handed playing of a keyboard with switch and potentiometer controls of a remote synthesizer which may be basically of conventional design and include a plurality of output voice means. A lightweight keyboard assembly is mounted within an elongated premolded housing having a control panel comprised of control switches and light indicators. The instrument is preferably for playing by the right hand, and for the purpose of holding and controlling the stability of the instrument, the housing is formed with a left hand gripping hole or slot permitting the instrument to be firmly gripped. Adjacent the hole there are provided additional control knobs and push button switches which are easily operated by the left hand without any repositioning of the hand. An umbilical cord interconnects the hand supported keyboard musical instrument and the synthesizer apparatus. The control wires forming the umbilical cord are minimized by electronically scanning the keyboard by serially addressing each key to provide a serial pulse train representing the state of all keys. The control wiring is also minimized by tthe electronic scanning of each control switch in sequence to provide a further serial pulse train representing the state of all switches. The keyboard assembly fits within an opening in the housing and is of relatively simple and lightweight construction using optical interruptor means for sensing key depression rather than using mechanical contact sensing means.

Claims27

Dependent claims

A hand-held keyboard musical device comprising;

a keyboard assembly comprising a plurality of keys,
an elongated housing having top and bottom wall surfaces, a hand-support section and a keyboard section longitudinally disposed of the support section and having an opening for accommodating the keyboard assembly,
said housing having means defining a passage therethrough in the hand-support section of the housing adjacent to the keyboard assembly and extending between top and bottom wall surfaces,
said passage for receiving the player's hand for enabling hand support of the device,
and means for supporting the housing from the player's body.

2 more elements

A hand-held keyboard musical device for controlling a remote synthesizer apparatus, comprising;

a keyboard assembly,
an elongated housing having top and bottom wall surfaces, a hand-support section and a keyboard section longitudinally disposed of the support section and having an opening for accommodating the keyboard assembly and means for supporting the housing from the player,
means responsive to key actuation for registering an individual indication representative of each key actuated,
umbilical cord means interconnecting the synthesizer apparatus and the device and including a number of signal wires,
synchronization means coupled via the umbical cord means to the device,
selector means responsive to said means for registering and said synchronization means for providing a serial pulse train on at least one of said signal wires having time slots indicative respectively or each key and the state thereof,
said housing having means defining a passage therethrough in the hand-support section of the housing adjacent the keyboard assembly and extending between opposite top and bottom wall surfaces,
said passage for receiving the player's hand for enabling hand support of the device,
and means for supporting the housing from the player's body.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Keyboard musical instrument

Life of this patent

Keyboard musical instrument

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims27