US 5,270,475 A · Electronic music system

Abstract

An electronic music system for computer-controlled interactive practicing and learning to play a guitar includes a transducer which is detachably securable to the guitar and generates analog signals representing the playing of the guitar, an interface for converting the analog signals to computer-processable digital signals, and a computer for receiving and processing the digital signals. The system uses a communication protocol which employs time stamping of data to permit use with ordinary guitars but without high speed frequency determination. The computer provides audio and video outputs including staff and guitar fingering representations of notes, chords, scales, compositions, and like musical structures, both to teach the user and suggest music to be played by the user and to illustrate what the user has played. The system is operable in several modes which may be controlled by the user by signals produced at the transducer.

Claims41

Dependent claims

Interface apparatus for interfacing an analog electrical signal representing an acoustic signal to a digital computer comprising:

an interface input adapted to be coupled to a first communication channel to receive said analog electrical signal;
a processor coupled to said interface input for processing signals received at said interface input and for producing digital output signals at a processor output in response to received signals;
and
an interface output coupled to said processor output, said interface output being adapted to be coupled to a digital computer by a second transmission channel for interchanging digital signals,
wherein said processor produces digital output signals in response to changes in said analog electrical signal, said digital output signals including event data representing the occurrence of a change in said analog electrical signal and identifying data uniquely identifying each such event.

2 more elements

Interface apparatus for interfacing an analog electrical signal representing an acoustic signal to a digital computer comprising:

an interface input adapted to be coupled to a first communication channel to receive said analog electrical signal;
a processor coupled to said interface input for processing signals received at said interface input and for producing digital messages at a processor output in response to received signals;
and
an interface output coupled to said processor output, said interface output being adapted to be coupled to a digital computer by a second communication channel for interchanging digital messages,
wherein each of said messages produced by said processor includes an event-identifying message component which is selected from a set of predetermined event-identifying message components, each member of said set uniquely representing the existence of a predetermined response of said processor to said received signals, and a message-identifying message component which uniquely identifies that message and distinguishes it from all other message transmitted by said processor.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Electronic music system

Life of this patent

Electronic music system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims41