Patent US2995671A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US3662641A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3662641A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electronic musical apparatus
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1970-10-01
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Granted: 1972-05-16
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Expires: 1990-10-01
Abstract
Abstract An electronic musical instrument in which the fingerboard of a guitar is replaced by capacitive touch contact switches simulating all of the fret positions of a string. The touch plates are coupled to various oscillators and the output frequency is amplitude modulated by a transducer produced output signal from a set of strings which are plucked. This output signal is stretched and shaped as desired to modulate the audio frequency signal and produce the final musical output.
Inventors
- 👤 Joseph Stevens Allen
- 👤 Zeb Vance Bulla Jr
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 16:44
CPC Classifications
G; G10; G10H; G10H1/00; G10H1/32; G10H1/34; G10H1/342; G10H2220/00; G10H2220/155; G10H2220/265; G10H2220/275; G10H2220/295; G10H2220/301
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 34
Claim 1
Independent Claim
130 words
Electronic musical apparatus comprising, string means adapted for bowing or plucking, a plurality of discrete touch actuated switch means for simulating the fingerboard of a stringed musical instrument each of said switch means corresponding to a predetermined audio frequency signal, oscillator means coupled to said switch means and responsive to the selective actuation of any one of said switch means for generating said predetermined audio frequency signal corresponding to the switch means which has been actuated, transducer means in proximity to said string means responsive to the physical displacement of said string means; and modulating means coupled to said oscillator means and transducer means and responsive to the actuation of said string means into vibration concurrently with the actuation of said one switch means for modulating said audio frequency signal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
130 words
Electronic musical apparatus comprising, string means adapted for bowing or plucking, a plurality of discrete touch actuated switch means for simulating the fingerboard of a stringed musical instrument each of said switch means corresponding to a predetermined audio frequency signal, oscillator means coupled to said switch means and responsive to the selective actuation of any one of said switch means for generating said predetermined audio frequency signal corresponding to the switch means which has been actuated, transducer means in proximity to said string means responsive to the physical displacement of said string means; and modulating means coupled to said oscillator means and transducer means and responsive to the actuation of said string means into vibration concurrently with the actuation of said one switch means for modulating said audio frequency signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
Electronic musical apparatus as in claim 1 where said switch means include fixed wire segments for forming virtual capacitors when a human finger is placed in proximity with a segment.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
Electronic musical apparatus as in claim 1 where said switch means include touch actuating means arranged in a straight line corresponding to the various fingering positions of a string in the same physical location.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
Electronic musical apparatus as in claim 1 where said modulating means includes waveshape modifying means for modifying the output of said transducer means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
Electronic musical apparatus as in claim 1 including tuning means for said oscillating means located in a position corresponding to the tuning machine of the simulated fingerboard.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
38 words
Electronic musical apparatus as in claim 1 where said plurality of switch means include a common radio frequency oscillator for generating an alternating signal which charges virtual capacitors formed by touching a predetermined portion of said switch means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
Electronic musical apparatus as in claim 1 where said switch means includes means coupled to said modulating means and responsive to the deactivation of said switch means to disable said modulating means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
Electronic musical apparatus as in claim 1 where said modulating means includes first and second series coupled balanced modulators said modulators providing a logarithmic modulation characteristic.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
40 words
Electronic musical apparatus as in claim 1 where said transducer means includes first transducer means primarily responsive to longitudinal mode vibrations of said string means and includes second trAnsducer means primarily responsive to transverse mode vibrations of said string means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
20 words
Electronic musical apparatus as in claim 1 where said transducer means includes piezoelectric elements mechanically coupled to said string means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
39 words
Electronic musical apparatus as in claim 1 including harmonic control means coupled to said oscillator means for modifying the harmonic content of the audio frequency signal output of said oscillator means said harmonic control means including variable integration means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
36 words
Electronic musical apparatus as in claim 11 where said variable integration means comprise a capacitor coupled across a balanced modulator said modulator including variable gain control means to vary the effective capacitance value of said capacitor.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
19 words
Electronic musical apparatus as in claim 11 where said harmonic modulator is coupled and responsive to said transducer means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
27 words
Electronic musical apparatus as in claim 11 where said oscillator means produce sawtooth type signals and said variable integration means attenuate high harmonics of said sawtooth signals.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
50 words
Electronic musical apparatus as in claim 1 including tuning means for said oscillator means said tuning means being coupled to a common junction and together with means for warying the voltage level of said junction to simultaneously vary the frequencies of the audio frequency signals generated by said oscillator means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
18 words
Electronic musical apparatus as in claim 15 where said means for varying said voltage level includes a potentiometer.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
16 words
Electronic musical apparatus as in claim 15 together with foot pedal means for controlling said potentiometer.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
34 words
Electronic musical apparatus as in claim 15 where said means for varying said voltage level includes continuous potentiometer means and detented potentiometer means and option switch means for selecting one of said potentiometer means.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
17 words
Electronic musical apparatus as in claim 1 where said oscillator means includes at least one unijunction transistor.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
117 words
Electronic musical apparatus comprising, transducer means adapted for actuation by a human hand, a plurality of touch actuated switch means each including a fixed wire segment for forming a virtual capacitor with a human finger, each of said switch means corresponding to a predetermined audio frequency signal, oscillator means coupled to said switch means and responsive to the selective actuation of any one of said switch means for generating an audio frequency signal corresponding to the switch means which has been actuated; and modulating means coupled to said oscillator means and transducer means and responsive to the actuation of said transducer means concurrently with the actuation of said one switch means for modulating said audio frequency signal.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
117 words
Electronic musical apparatus comprising, transducer means adapted for actuation by a human hand, a plurality of touch actuated switch means each including a fixed wire segment for forming a virtual capacitor with a human finger, each of said switch means corresponding to a predetermined audio frequency signal, oscillator means coupled to said switch means and responsive to the selective actuation of any one of said switch means for generating an audio frequency signal corresponding to the switch means which has been actuated; and modulating means coupled to said oscillator means and transducer means and responsive to the actuation of said transducer means concurrently with the actuation of said one switch means for modulating said audio frequency signal.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
61 words
Electronic musical apparatus as in claim 20 where said modulating means includes harmonic control means coupled to said oscillator means for modifying the harmonic content of the audio frequency signal output of said oscillator means said harmonic control means including a variable symmetry chopper driven by said oscillator means for producing a pulse type output signal having a variable pulse width.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
20 words
Electronic musical apparatus as in claim 21 together with control means coupled to said chopper for varying said pulse width.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
15 words
Electronic musical apparatus as in claim 21 where said chopper includes a saturated differential amplifier.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
29 words
Electronic musical apparatus as in claim 21 where said oscillator means produces sawtooth type signals and said chopper clips said sawtooth signals to produce said pulse type output signal.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
27 words
Electronic musical apparatus as in claim 21 where said chopper is coupled and responsive to said transducer means for varying the pulse width of said output signal.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
44 words
Electronic musical apparatus as in claim 20 where said touch actuated switch means includes means responsive to the skin pressure of a finger on a wire segment of said switch means for modifying tHe frequency of said audio frequency signal of said oscillator means.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
70 words
Electronic musical apparatus as in claim 26 where said touch actuated switch means includes a radio frequency oscillator for generating an alternating signal which charges virtual capacitors formed by said finger touching said wire segment said radio frequency oscillator having an input current proportional to said skin pressure said switch means also including control means responsive to said input current for proportionately modulating said frequency of said audio frequency signal.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
30 words
Electronic musical apparatus as in claim 20 together with filtering means having an input coupled to the modulated output of said modulating means and an output to audio transducer means.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
29 words
Electronic musical apparatus as in claim 28 where said filtering means has a frequency filtering characteristic which is variable to provide control of the timbre of said audio frequency.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
52 words
Electronic musical apparatus as in claim 29 where said filtering means includes a plurality of pi sections comprising an inductor and two capacitor legs together with switching means for coupling said input and output to any two adjacent pi sections at any one time for providing said variation of said filtering characteristic.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
31 words
Electronic musical apparatus as in claim 28 together with impedance means coupled to said input of said filtering means having an impedance different from the characteristic impedance of said filtering means.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
24 words
Electronic musical apparatus as in claim 31 where said impedance means is variable to provide for control of the richness of said audio frequency.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-05-16 | 1975-11-15 | 1976-05-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-05-16 | 1979-11-15 | 1980-05-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-05-16 | 1983-11-15 | 1984-05-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |