Patent US3878751A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3878751A
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Endless record audio signal generator and means for playing record
Assignee: Opsonar Organ Corp
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Filing: 1970-11-30
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Granted: 1975-04-22
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Expires: 1990-11-30
Abstract
Abstract An organ having a keyboard with levers that can be selectively depressed to play a melody and having a group of accompaniment buttons which can be selectively depressed to play a harmonizing pattern of notes based on a musical chord appropriate to the melody being played on the keyboard. The tones and harmonizing patterns are defined by concentric circular tracks on an optical disc record in the organ. All of the harmonizing patterns include a series of notes in the same meter, such as 4/4 time, and each pattern lasts for one or more complete measures along its 360* length about the record. Each track is re-entrant and all harmonizing patterns begin at the same circumferential position along the track, to allow a musician to change from a first pattern at the end of a measure to a second pattern and be assured of starting the second pattern at the beginning of a measure. The record also includes one or more lead-in tracks containing an accompaniment pattern defining an introduction to a music passage, and one or more endings defining the end of a music passage, the lead-in and ending tracks also extending one measure about the record and positioned in phase with the harmonizing patterns.
Inventors
- 👤 Michael E Golden
- 👤 Marshall B Pearlman
- 👤 John W Ryan
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 11:12
CPC Classifications
G; G10; G10C; G10C3/00; G10C3/12; G10H; G10H1/00; G10H1/36; G10H1/38; G10H3/00; G10H3/03; G10H3/06; G10H2210/00; G10H2210/571; G10H2210/601; G10H2210/621
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
126 words
Apparatus for use in generating musical sounds comprising: an endless record having a plurality of harmonizing tracks with re-entrant paths, each defining a pattern of musical notes in the same meter but based on a different musical chord so that at least some of the notes of each of said tracks have definite pitches, and each track lasting the same whole number of musical measures along the length of its track around the record, so that a change from a first track which is based on a first musical chord to a second track which is based on a second musical chord at the end of a pattern on the first track begins the playing of the second track at the beginning of the pattern thereon.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
126 words
Apparatus for use in generating musical sounds comprising: an endless record having a plurality of harmonizing tracks with re-entrant paths, each defining a pattern of musical notes in the same meter but based on a different musical chord so that at least some of the notes of each of said tracks have definite pitches, and each track lasting the same whole number of musical measures along the length of its track around the record, so that a change from a first track which is based on a first musical chord to a second track which is based on a second musical chord at the end of a pattern on the first track begins the playing of the second track at the beginning of the pattern thereon.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
126 words
Apparatus for use in generating musical sounds comprising: an endless record having a plurality of harmonizing tracks with re-entrant paths, each defining a pattern of musical notes in the same meter but based on a different musical chord so that at least some of the notes of each of said tracks have definite pitches, and each track lasting the same whole number of musical measures along the length of its track around the record, so that a change from a first track which is based on a first musical chord to a second track which is based on a second musical chord at the end of a pattern on the first track begins the playing of the second track at the beginning of the pattern thereon.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
126 words
Apparatus for use in generating musical sounds comprising: an endless record having a plurality of harmonizing tracks with re-entrant paths, each defining a pattern of musical notes in the same meter but based on a different musical chord so that at least some of the notes of each of said tracks have definite pitches, and each track lasting the same whole number of musical measures along the length of its track around the record, so that a change from a first track which is based on a first musical chord to a second track which is based on a second musical chord at the end of a pattern on the first track begins the playing of the second track at the beginning of the pattern thereon.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
50 words
The apparatus described in claim 1 wherein: said record also includes a musical lead-in track defining a pattern of notes which represent an introduction to a musical passage, said lead-in track having the same duration along said record as a whole number of measures at one of said harmonizing tracks.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
48 words
The apparatus described in claim 1 wherein: said record includes an ending track defining a pattern of notes which represents an ending of a musical passage, said ending track having the same duration along said record as a whole number of measures of one of said harmonizing tracks.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
47 words
The apparatus described in claim 1 wherein: said endless record comprises a disc with a plurality of concentric ring-like regions of variable average opacity representing said plurality of tracks, each of said patterns beginning at a point along the same substantially radial imaginary line on said disc.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
42 words
The apparatus described in claim 1 including: a playing machine including means for turning said record, speaker means, and means including a plurality of manually operable keys for selectively coupling signals representing the sounds defined by said tracks to said speaker means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
196 words
The apparatus described in claim 1 including: an instrument for playing said record comprising a first plurality of manually operable switches for playing sounds based on different major chords, a second plurality of manually operable switches for playing sounds based on different diminished chords, speaker means for producing acoustical sounds, and a plurality of connector means for selectively coupling said record tracks to said speaker means in response to the operation of said switches; and wherein a first group of said harmonizing tracks on said record includes a plurality of tracks that each defines musical notes based on different major chords, and at least one track that defines musical notes based on a dominant seventh chord that is devoid of a root note thereof; and at least one of said connector means is constructed to couple said track which is devoid of a root note of its corresponding chord, to said speaker means both when a predetermined switch of said first plurality of switches is operated and when a predetermined switch of said second plurality of switches is operated, whereby the same record track can be used when a major chord or diminished chord is indicated.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
32 words
The apparatus described in claim 1 wherein: each of said plurality of harmonizing tracks represents the same pattern of the same instruments at the same tempo, but based on a different chord.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
231 words
A musical instrument comprising: an endless record having a plurality of endless tracks, each defining a rhythmic pattern of musical notes based on a different musical chord, so that at least some of the notes in each of said tracks can be sensed by the human ear to have definite pitches; and playing apparatus including a plurality of playing head means, each responsive to one of said tracks for generating electrical signals representing the rhythmic pattern of musical notes on said track, transport means for moving said record so that said tracks move simultaneously past said playing head means, speaker means, and means including a plurality of manually operable switches for selectively coupling said playing head means to said speaker means; and wherein each of said tracks represents a pattern of the same tempo as the pattern of the other of said tracks for a given speed of said transport means, and in constant phase relationship with the patterns of the other of said tracks; and said plurality of playing head means are located with respect to each other so that all of said tracks pass their respective playing head means in phase with each other, whereby when a musician switches to a new track at the beginning or middle of a musical measure, the new track begins at the beginning or at the corresponding beat, respectively, in the new measure.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
231 words
A musical instrument comprising: an endless record having a plurality of endless tracks, each defining a rhythmic pattern of musical notes based on a different musical chord, so that at least some of the notes in each of said tracks can be sensed by the human ear to have definite pitches; and playing apparatus including a plurality of playing head means, each responsive to one of said tracks for generating electrical signals representing the rhythmic pattern of musical notes on said track, transport means for moving said record so that said tracks move simultaneously past said playing head means, speaker means, and means including a plurality of manually operable switches for selectively coupling said playing head means to said speaker means; and wherein each of said tracks represents a pattern of the same tempo as the pattern of the other of said tracks for a given speed of said transport means, and in constant phase relationship with the patterns of the other of said tracks; and said plurality of playing head means are located with respect to each other so that all of said tracks pass their respective playing head means in phase with each other, whereby when a musician switches to a new track at the beginning or middle of a musical measure, the new track begins at the beginning or at the corresponding beat, respectively, in the new measure.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
52 words
The musical instrument described in claim 8 wherein: each of said plurality of tracks contains substantially the same number of corresponding notes, said corresponding notes of different ones of said tracks having substantially the same quality, rhythmic placement with respect to each other, and speed of rhythmic occurrence, but displaced in pitch.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
42 words
The musical instrument described in claim 8 wherein: said record includes a lead-in track defining a pattern of notes representing an introduction to a melody, said lead-in track being in constant phase relationship with the pattern of said named plurality of tracks.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
127 words
Apparatus for playing by a musical instrument comprising: a rotatable disc of optically transparent material having at least partially opaque regions defining circular sound tracks, a first plurality of said tracks defining substantially the same pattern of sounds at the same tempo for the same speed of rotation of said disc, but based on a different musical chord, so that at least some of the notes of each of said tracks can be sensed by the human ear to have definite pitches, each of said first plurality of tracks being in substantially constant phase with each other about said disc so that a change from one of said tracks to the other continues the pattern of sounds substantially without delay or advancement of the pattern of sounds.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
127 words
Apparatus for playing by a musical instrument comprising: a rotatable disc of optically transparent material having at least partially opaque regions defining circular sound tracks, a first plurality of said tracks defining substantially the same pattern of sounds at the same tempo for the same speed of rotation of said disc, but based on a different musical chord, so that at least some of the notes of each of said tracks can be sensed by the human ear to have definite pitches, each of said first plurality of tracks being in substantially constant phase with each other about said disc so that a change from one of said tracks to the other continues the pattern of sounds substantially without delay or advancement of the pattern of sounds.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
51 words
The apparatus described in claim 11 wherein: each of said first plurality of tracks was a beginning part representing the beginning of a musical measure of said pattern of sounds, said beginning parts of said plurality of tracks arranged substantially along an imaginary line radiating from the center of said disc.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
63 words
The apparatus described in claim 12 wherein: at least one of said tracks defines a pattern of musical sounds representing a lead-in to a musical composition which has an accompaniment represented by said pattern of sounds of said first plurality of tracks, the end of said track representing a lead-in lying substantially on said imaginary line radiating from the center of said disc.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
43 words
The apparatus described in claim 12 wherein: at least one of said tracks defines a pattern of musical sounds representing an ending to a musical composition, with a starting part lying substantially on said imaginary line radiating from the center of said disc.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-04-21 | 1978-10-21 | 1979-04-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-04-21 | 1982-10-21 | 1983-04-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-04-21 | 1986-10-21 | 1987-04-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |