EP0342037A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Radiation activated device
Assignee: INTERACTIVE LIGHT Inc (A Corp OF NEW YORK)
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Filing: 1989-05-11
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2009-05-11
Abstract
Abstract An instrument for generating tone signals, by which is meant signals intended for generating sounds or musical notes, or alternatively signals for generating optical images and the like, has a radiation emitter arranged to emit radiation into an elongate emission space. A sensor is sensitive to radiation received from an elongate sensing space, which is non-coincident with the emission space. The current signals are generated in response to the sensor. Preferably, the emission sensing spaces partially overlap as a result of a different orientation of the spaces.
Inventors
- 👤 Asaf Gurner
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 05:29
CPC Classifications
G; G10; G10H; G10H1/00; G10H1/02; G10H1/04; G10H1/053; G10H1/055; G10H1/0553; G10H2220/00; G10H2220/135; G10H2220/141; G10H2220/155; G10H2220/405; G10H2220/411; G10H2220/415
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
73 words
1 - Optical instrument, comprising tone signal-generating means comprising emitter and sensor means and means for producing tone signals responsive to signals produced or transmitted by the sensor means, characterized in that the emitter means emit radiations into an elongated emission space and the sensor means are sensitive to radiation directed towards them from any point of an elongated sensing space, the emission and the sensing spaces being in only partial overlapping relationship.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
73 words
1 - Optical instrument, comprising tone signal-generating means comprising emitter and sensor means and means for producing tone signals responsive to signals produced or transmitted by the sensor means, characterized in that the emitter means emit radiations into an elongated emission space and the sensor means are sensitive to radiation directed towards them from any point of an elongated sensing space, the emission and the sensing spaces being in only partial overlapping relationship.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
2 - Instrument according to claim 1, wherein the partial overlap of the emission and sensing spaces results from a different mean orientation (as defined in the specification) of the said spaces.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
45 words
3 - Instrument according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the angle between the mean orientations of at least one emission space and the sensing space associated therewith is comprised between 2 o and 10 o and preferably between 2 o and 5 o .
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
51 words
4 - Instrument according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the overlapping portions of emission and sensing spaces are vertically contained between a lower level that is higher than floor level and an upper level that is lower than ceiling level and preferably between 1.5 m and 2.5 m.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
50 words
5 - Instrument according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the apices of the emission and sensing spaces of any one tone signal-generating means are spaced from one another horizontally by a distance comprised between 5 cm and 20 cm and preferably between 10 cm and 11 cm.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
6 - Instrument according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the emitter means also emit and the sensor means are also sensitive to auxiliary horizontal or sub-horizontal radiation.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
54 words
7 - Instrument according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the emitter means also emit weak radiation partially overlapping the sensing space of the same tone signal-generating means but not overlapping the overlapping portion of the other emission space or spaces and of the sensing space of the same tone signal-generating means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
36 words
8 - Instrument according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the tone signal-generating means constitute a plurality of units, each corresponding to a tone, arranged in a line defining a closed floor space.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
33 words
9 - Instrument according to claim 12, wherein the peripheral gaps between emission and sensing spaces of adjacent tone signal-generating units do not exceed 10 cm and preferably 5 cm at any level.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
54 words
10 - Instrument according to claim 8, wherein the lateral spread of the emission spaces is comprised between 0 o and 10 o and preferably does not exceed 10 o and the radial spread of the emission spaces is comprised between 1 o and 5 o and preferably between 2 o and 4 o
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
90 words
11 - Instrument according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sensor means comprise a radiation sensor and means for concentrating thereon radiation originating from the corresponding sensing space, while excluding radiation not originating from this latter, said concentrating means being chosen from among at least two mirrors, one of which is preferably parabolic, at least one transparent body having a preferably parabolic surface provided with a reflective coating, at least one lens, at least one prism, and a combination of two or more of the aforesaid means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
35 words
12 - Instrument according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the several tone signal-generating units are supported each on a segment of an optionally disassemblable and/or foldable supporting structure defining a closed line.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
37 words
13 - Instrument according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tone signal-generating units are so designed that the signal they produce at any given time depends on the specific radiation beam which is intercepted.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
39 words
14 - Instrument according to any one of the claims 1 to 12, wherein the tone signal-generating units are so designed that the intensity of signal they produce depends on the succession in which two different beams are intercepted.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
67 words
15 - Instrument according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the activation of one tone signal does not inactivate other tone signal-generating means, whereby more than one tone may be played concurrently, the various tone signal-generating units being preferably activated in sequence, one at a time, the frequency of the activation being so high that said activation is felt by players and listeners is continuous.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
31 words
16 - Optical instrument according to claim 1, comprising means for decoding the tone signals and transmitting the same to an interface to a device to be controlled by the instrument.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
43 words
17 - Optical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the device to be controlled is chosen among devices for producing musical tones, whereby to generate a musical instrument, and devices for producing controlled, preferably computer-controlled, optical images, whereby to generate a game-playing instrument.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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