Stringed instrument with active string termination motion control
OwnerPaul F. Ierymenkoinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for controlling for at least one string of a musical instrument by selectively exciting or damping vibration of the string is provided. The system includes at least one transducer configured to sense a lateral vibration of the string and/or to apply an actuating force to the string. A controller is configured to determine an actuating signal for driving the actuator to apply a longitudinal actuating force to the string at a termination point of the string. The longitudinal actuating force are operable to modulate a tension of the string that increases and/or damps the lateral vibration and/or selected harmonics thereof.
Claims11
A circuit for sensing motion of a musical instrument string, the circuit comprising:
- an ultrasonic emitter configured to emit ultrasonic vibrations of a wavelength smaller than a diameter of the string so that ultrasonic vibrations from the ultrasonic emitter impinge upon and are reflected by the string;
- and
- at least one ultrasonic sensor configured to receive the ultrasonic vibrations reflected by the string, wherein the ultrasonic emitter and the ultrasonic sensor comprise resonant cylindrical chambers in a substrate material, one face of each chamber comprising an electrically conductive elastic membrane electrode, the membrane electrode of the ultrasonic emitter chamber being driven by an excitation voltage pulsing at the resonant frequency of the chamber or integer multiple thereof, and the ultrasonic sensor chamber produces a voltage signal by the modulation of a charged capacitance according to the deformations of the membrane electrode impinged by ultrasonic pressure variations.
A system for controlling a vibration of a musical instrument string, the system comprising:
- a circuit for sensing motion of a musical instrument string, the circuit comprising:
- an ultrasonic emitter configured to emit ultrasonic vibrations of a wavelength smaller than a diameter of the string so that ultrasonic vibrations from the ultrasonic emitter impinge upon and are reflected by the string;
- and
- at least one ultrasonic sensor configured to receive the ultrasonic vibrations reflected by the string, wherein the ultrasonic emitter and the ultrasonic sensor comprise resonant cylindrical chambers in a substrate material, one face of each chamber comprising an electrically conductive elastic membrane electrode, the membrane electrode of the ultrasonic emitter chamber being driven by an excitation voltage pulsing at the resonant frequency of the chamber or integer multiple thereof, and the ultrasonic sensor chamber produces a voltage signal by the modulation of a charged capacitance according to the deformations of the membrane electrode impinged by ultrasonic pressure variations, wherein the circuit outputs a signal representing a lateral vibration of the musical instrument;
- a controller configured to receive the signal representing a lateral vibration of the musical instrument and to determine an actuating signal for driving at least one transducer to apply a longitudinal actuating force to the string at a termination point of the string, the longitudinal actuating force being operable to modulate a tension of the string that increases and/or damps the lateral vibration and/or selected harmonics thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.