US3710671A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Note and pitch teaching machine
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1971-12-17
•
Granted: 1973-01-16
•
Expires: 1991-12-17
Abstract
Abstract A programmable machine for aiding in the development of note and pitch recognition employs encoded exercise cards carrying corresponding note indicia thereon and means for reading the cards to establish corresponding tuned circuits capable of passing only the frequency of a selected note for operating a mechanism to advance the card reading means. A circuit for indicating the exercise completion and a timer for permitting operation of the exercise completion circuit in response to favorable performance by the student within a prescribed time period are employed to produce a record of the student''s achievement. This apparatus may be extended by dual coding of the cards to selectively establish oscillator circuit configurations in apparatus for tuning instruments and advantageously utilized in combination therewith to provide the student with an indication of whether he is playing a note sharp or flat.
Inventors
- 👤 J Reid
- 👤 R Muehlman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 14:57
CPC Classifications
G; G09; G09B; G09B15/00; G10; G10G; G10G1/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
122 words
Apparatus for use in teaching note and pitch, comprising: a program card having an exercise of musical notes thereon and coded means having spaced coded sections corresponding to the musical notes; code reading means movable with respect to said program card for reading the coded sections; and means for advancing said code reading means along said program card in response to receipt of a note signal played by a student, including an input for receiving a note signal, settable means set by said code reading means to pass a note signal of a pitch corresponding to that of the musical note read, and drive means for moving said code reading means in response to passage of a signal by said settable means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
122 words
Apparatus for use in teaching note and pitch, comprising: a program card having an exercise of musical notes thereon and coded means having spaced coded sections corresponding to the musical notes; code reading means movable with respect to said program card for reading the coded sections; and means for advancing said code reading means along said program card in response to receipt of a note signal played by a student, including an input for receiving a note signal, settable means set by said code reading means to pass a note signal of a pitch corresponding to that of the musical note read, and drive means for moving said code reading means in response to passage of a signal by said settable means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
The apparatus of claim 1, comprising indicating means operable in response to the operation of said drive means for indicating satisfactory performance of the student in playing a note.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
109 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said drive means includes means operable to step said coded reading means from one coded section to the next, said program card carries an embossment corresponding to the degree of difficulty in performing the exercise, said apparatus comprises means for reproducing the embossment on a record carrier in response to completion of the exercises in response to the position of said code reading means, and timing means operated after a predetermined time interval to prevent operation of said reproducing means when the student fails to complete the exercise in a predetermined amount of time corresponding to the degree of difficulty of the exercise.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
42 words
The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said timing means comprises time setting means for setting the timing interval thereof and said program card includes coded means for operating said time setting means in accordance with the degree of difficulty of the exercise.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
66 words
The apparatus of claim 1, comprising settable generator means set by said code reading means to generate a signal of a pitch corresponding to that defined by the settable means, means for receiving the note signal played and means responsive to the generated signal and the received note signal to indicate whether the received note signal is sharp or flat with respect to the defined pitch.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said settable means includes frequency network means which are selectively interconnected in response to the code read by said code reading means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
80 words
The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said program card includes an electrically insulated carrier, a plurality of spaced metallic strips on said carrier connectible to said network means, and an electrically insulated code sheet carried on said carrier over said metallic strips and having spaced coding holes therein in registration with said metallic strips, and said code reading means includes contacts for contacting said metallic strips through the coding holes as said code reading means moves along said program card.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said card carries at least one metallic strip on said code sheet for continuous contact by a corresponding contact of said code reading means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
54 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said drive means includes movable means defining a path of travel connected to said code reading means and electromechanical means connected between said settable means and said path defining means for operating said path defining means in response to passage of a note signal by said settable means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 1, comprising means for releasably holding said program card and means mounting said code reading means for movement along said program card.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
71 words
The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said means for holding said program card comprises card guide means for receiving said program card, and said mounting means for said code reading means includes means defining an endless path of travel and second guide means substantially coextensive with said card guide means in a portion of the path of travel for positioning said code reading means in close proximity to said program card.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
62 words
The apparatus of claim 11, comprising switch means operated by said code reading means as it advances beyond the last code section of said card, and means connected to said switch means and said drive means and operated by said switch means to advance said code reading means along said path to a point adjacent the first code section of said card.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 12, comprising means connected to said switch means for indicating completion of the exercise in response to operation of said switch means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
92 words
Apparatus for use in teaching note and pitch, comprising: program means indexable to establish a sequence of pitch occurrences to be received from a student''s instrument including means providing the student with a visual indication of the sequence as a musical exercise; means for receiving the pitches played and operable in response thereto and to the programmed pitches to index said program means when the pitches agree; and means for indicating satisfactory performance of the exercise including timing means and means for comparing the performance time with respect to a predetermined time.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
92 words
Apparatus for use in teaching note and pitch, comprising: program means indexable to establish a sequence of pitch occurrences to be received from a student''s instrument including means providing the student with a visual indication of the sequence as a musical exercise; means for receiving the pitches played and operable in response thereto and to the programmed pitches to index said program means when the pitches agree; and means for indicating satisfactory performance of the exercise including timing means and means for comparing the performance time with respect to a predetermined time.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
54 words
The apparatus of claim 14, comprising means programmable by said program means for receipt of the sequence of pitches to generate corresponding standard pitches and means for receiving the Standard pitches and played pitches and operable to indicate the sharp or flat condition of the played pitches with respect to the respective standard pitches.
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) | 1976-01-16 | 1976-07-17 | 1977-01-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-01-16 | 1980-07-17 | 1981-01-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-01-16 | 1984-07-17 | 1985-01-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |