Automatic string instrument tuner
OwnerLynn M. Milano, Jahangir Rastegar +1inventors
InventorsLynn M. Milano, Jahangir Rastegar, Farshad Khorrami
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Abstract
A tuning system is described for automatically tuning a musical instrument having adjustment means for changing the frequency of a musical tone produced by a musical string of the musical instrument. The tuning system of the present invention is useful with respect to a wide variety of musical instruments, e.g., string instruments such as, guitars, harps, pianos, etc., and other instruments. A tuning system is operative to selectively tune a musical string of a stringed musical instrument to a user selected predetermined frequency value.
Claims20
An apparatus for tuning a stringed musical instrument, said apparatus comprising:
- detection means for detecting a musical tone produced by said instrument and producing a signal corresponding to said tone;
- processing means coupled to said detection means for comparing said signal to a reference value associated with a desired frequency and producing an electrical control signal, said electrical control signal being a function of the difference between said signal and said reference frequency value;
- and
- string adjustment means coupled to said processing means and to a plurality of strings associated with said stringed musical instrument for selectively adjusting the tension of said plurality of strings in dependence upon said electrical control signal, said string adjustment means including:
- at least one electric motor responsive to said electrical control signal;
- transmission means coupled to the at least one electric motor and associated with said plurality of strings for adjusting the tension of each said string, said transmission means being selectively actuable such that at least one string may be selectively adjusted in accordance therewith.
An apparatus for tuning a stringed musical instrument, said apparatus comprising:
- detection means for detecting a musical tone produced by said instrument and producing a signal corresponding to said tone;
- processing means coupled to said detection means for comparing said signal to a reference value and producing an electrical control signal, said electrical control signal being a function of the difference between said signal and said reference value;
- and
- string adjustment means coupled to said processing means and a plurality of strings associated with said stringed musical instrument for selectively adjusting the tension of said plurality of strings in dependence upon said electrical control signal, said string adjustment means including:
- i) at least one electric motor responsive to said electrical control signal;
- ii) a plurality of gears, said each gear being operatively associated with a said each string respectively;
- and
- iii) a clutch mechanism operatively associated with said plurality of gears for selectively coupling at least one of said plurality of gears with said at least one electric motor.
An apparatus positioned external of a musical instrument for tuning said stringed musical instrument, said apparatus comprising:
- detection means for detecting a musical tone produced by said instrument and producing a signal corresponding to said tone;
- processing means coupled to said detection means for comparing said signal to a reference value associated with a desired frequency and producing an electrical control signal, said electrical control signal being a function of the difference between said signal and said reference value;
- and
- string adjustment means coupled to said processing means and a plurality of strings associated with said stringed musical instrument for selectively adjusting the tension of each said string in dependence upon said electrical control signal, said string adjustment means including:
- i) at least one electric motor responsive to said electrical signal said at least one electric motor being fixably mounted external of said string musical instrument;
- and
- ii) coupling means for detachably coupling at least one electric motor to a said string of said musical instrument.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.