US 7,598,449 B2 · Musical instrument

Abstract

A musical device is disclosed that generates note tones, influences the sound of notes that are generated independently and performs a variety of user defined or user controlled activities. These activities include but are not limited to producing musical notes, determining, influencing or changing the sound, quality, voice, volume or other characteristics of a note, activating and coordinating the replay of stored loops, recording, editing and playing user created pieces previously produced and controlling peripheral devices such as lighting. The musical device uses a combination of strings and frets to locate notes on a fingerboard that a user may activate. The notes correspond to locations on the fingerboard. As a result, the invention includes a system to generate a sound corresponding to a note selected and activated according to preselected parameters such as the voice (e.g., trumpet, violin). A user's intent to play a particular note is preferably confirmed by a system of sensors corresponding to each note position that confirms a user's intent to play a particular note. The musical device also includes one or more switches that activate functions, loops or voices corresponding to note positions on the fingerboard.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A musical device comprising:

(a) at least one pair of electrically conducting frets, each fret spaced from its pair fret and each fret electrically conductive along its entire length;
(b) at least one electrically conducting string located so that the at least one string crosses the at least one pair of frets and is able to come into contact with one of the at least one pair of frets when a user moves a string into contact with one of the at least one pair of frets;
(c) means for determining that contact has been made between the string and one of the at least one pair of frets;
(d) means for correlating a predetermined activity with a determination by the means for determining that contact has been made between the string and one of the at least one pair of frets that contact has been made between a particular string and a particular pair of frets;
and
(e) wherein the means for determining that contact has been made comprises:
(i) at least one sensor, each sensor having a light transmitter and a receiver pair capable of receiving the light produced by the light transmitter, each sensor located at a location defined by the intersection of a string with a space between a pair of frets;
(ii) means for activating a light transmitter and simultaneously checking its receiver pair to see if the receiver is receiving light;
and
whereby light from the light transmitter is reflected off of the user's finger as the user moves a string into contact with a pair of frets which light is received by the receiver paired to the light transmitter and whereby the presence of the user's finger at the location of the string and the pair of frets is confirmed.

7 more elements

A musical device comprising:

(a) at least one pair of electrically conducting frets, each fret spaced from its pair fret and each fret electrically conductive along its entire length;
(b) at least one electrically conducting string located so that the at least one string crosses the at least one pair of frets and is able to come into contact with one of the at least one pair of frets when a user moves a string into contact with one of the at least one pair of frets;
(c) means for determining that contact has been made between a string and one of the at least one pair of frets;
(d) means for correlating a predetermined activity with a determination by the means for determining that contact has been made between a string and one of the at least one pair of frets that contact has been made between a particular string and a particular pair of frets;
and
(e) means for detecting the velocity of the user's finger contacting the string and moving into contact with the pair of frets, wherein the means for detecting the velocity of the user's finger contacting the string and moving the string into contact with the pair of electrically conducting frets comprises:
(i) at least one sensor, each sensor having a light transmitter and a receiver pair capable of receiving the light produced by the light transmitter, each sensor located at a location defined by the intersection of a string with a space between a pair of frets;
(ii) means for activating a light transmitter and simultaneously checking its receiver pair to see if the receiver is receiving light;
(iii) a timer that is activated to a first state when an initial threshold of light is detected by the means for simultaneously checking a receiver pair to see if the receiver is receiving light and that is activated to a second state when a second threshold of light is detected by the means for simultaneously checking a receiver pair to see if the receiver is receiving light which second threshold is higher than the first threshold;
and
whereby the time between the first state and the second state determines the velocity of a user's finger contacting a string and moving the string into contact with a pair of electrically conducting frets.

8 more elements

A musical device comprising:

(a) at least one pair of electrically conducting frets, each fret spaced from its pair fret;
(b) at least one electrically conducting string located so that the at least one string crosses the at least one pair of frets and is able to come into contact with one of the at least one pair of frets when a user moves a string into contact with one of the at least one pair of frets;
(c) means for determining that contact has been made between a string and one of the at least one pair of frets, wherein the means for determining that contact has been made between a string and one of the at least one pair of frets is a multiplexing system;
(d) means for correlating a predetermined activity with a determination by the means for determining that contact has been made between a string and one of the at least one pair of frets that contact has been made between a particular string and a particular pair of frets, wherein the means for correlating a predetermined activity with a determination by the means for determining that contact has been made between a string and one of the at least one pair of frets that contact has been made between a particular string and a particular pair of frets is a microprocessor, and wherein the predetermined activity is chosen from a group consisting of producing a musical note, producing a chord, playing a loop, controlling a MIDI control function, changing the volume of a note being played, changing the voice of a musical note;
means for confirming that a user has moved a specific string into contact with a specific pair of frets;
means for activating activities in response to a user playing a note and the user simultaneously activating the means for activating activities;
means for producing the musical effect of bending a note;
means for providing visual feedback on a current parameter of the musical device;
means for providing visual suggestion to a user of particular notes to play;
means for visually identifying the location of loops, functions or voices;
means for synchronizing loop patterns;
and
an output device connected to the means for correlating a predetermined activity for acting in response to the activity produced.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Musical instrument

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Musical instrument

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Abstract

Claims11