Touch screen guitar
AssigneeMUSIC Group IP Ltd.
InventorsUlrich Behringer, Brian Crouch
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A synthetic guitar includes a body, a neck extending from the body, and at least one touch sensor at the neck for indicating finger position of a user. The body has a receptacle for removably securing a tablet computer to the body. The tablet computer has a touch screen for indicating finger position of the user. A processor of the tablet computer is programmed to receive input signals from the touch sensor and the touch screen and to produce an output signal based at least partially on the input signals. The software can enable the synthetic guitar to be used as a music synthesizer or to be used as a video game controller. Synthetic guitar can also include a retainer for removably securing a portable media player to be used as an additional video display while playing the guitar.
Claims28
A musical instrument comprising:
- a body having a forward surface and sidewalls extending from the forward surface to define a recess extending inwardly from the forward surface;
- an extension extending from the body;
- a touch sensor at the extension, the touch sensor being configured to sense a first finger position of a user;
- an electrical circuit electrically coupled to the touch sensor and including a first electrical connector positioned in the recess;
- and
- a computer removably secured in the recess of the body, the computer having a housing, a general purpose processor secured within the housing, a touch screen configured to sense a second finger position of the user, and a second electrical connector removably electrically connected to the first electrical connector.
A musical instrument device for use with a computer having a processor and a touch screen, the musical instrument device comprising:
- a body having a forward surface and sidewalls extending from the forward surface to define a recess extending inwardly from the forward surface, the recess configured to receive the computer;
- an extension extending from the body;
- a touch sensor at the extension, the touch sensor being configured to sense a first finger position of a user;
- and
- an electrical circuit electrically coupled to the touch sensor and including a first electrical connector positioned in the recess and configured to releasably electrically connect to a second electrical connector of the computer.
A synthetic musical instrument for use with a computer having a processor and a touch screen, the synthetic musical instrument comprising:
- a body having a forward surface;
- an extension extending from the body;
- a touch sensor at the extension, the touch sensor being configured to sense a first finger position of a user;
- an electrical circuit electrically coupled to the touch sensor and including a first electrical connector configured to releasably electrically connect to a second electrical connector of the computer;
- and
- at least one mechanism configured to releasably secure the computer to the body.
A musical instrument device for use with a computer having a processor and a touch screen, the musical instrument device comprising:
- a body having first and second telescoping portions, the first telescoping portion configured to extend into an extended configuration that allows the computer to be inserted between the first and second telescoping portions and to retract into a retracted configuration to retain the computer between the first and second telescoping portions;
- an extension extending from the body;
- a touch sensor at the extension, the touch sensor being configured to sense a first finger position of a user;
- and
- an electrical circuit electrically coupled to the touch sensor and including a first electrical connector configured to releasably electrically connect to a second electrical connector of the computer.
A synthetic musical instrument for use with a computer having a processor and a touch screen, the synthetic musical instrument comprising:
- a body including a front face and a receptacle configured to receive the computer;
- a touch sensor at the extension, the touch sensor being configured to sense a first finger position of a user;
- an extension extending from the body and including a head spaced apart from the body, the head having a retainer configured to removably secure a display device and position the display device in an orientation that is transverse with respect to the front face of the body;
- and
- an electrical circuit electrically coupled to the touch sensor and including a first electrical connector configured to releasably electrically connect to a second electrical connector of the computer, the electrical circuit including a third electrical connector configured to electrically connect to the display device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.