Sight and sound musical instrument instruction with expanded control capabilities

Claim 2

An instructional device for a musical instrument having a keyboard, comprising a plurality of illumination means disposed within the keys of such instruments, a stereo cassette type tape player arranged for playing a prerecorded tape contained in a cassette, such tape containing aural instructions and coded instructional information, control means operatively connected to said plurality of illumination means, and decoder means responsive to such coded instructional information, said decoder means comprising signal conditioning means for accepting such coded instructional signals from such tape, whereby noise, interference, crosstalk and level variations originating from said tape player are effectively eliminated, and decoder memory means responsive to such conditioned signals whereby said control means are caused to selectively energize said plurality of illumination means singly and in various combinations and sequences, and for selected periods of time as determined by such instructional information.

Claim 3

The device as defined in claim 1 in which such coded instructional information is in the form of amplitude and width modulated segments of a sinusoidal carrier wave with each segment consisting of a group of high amplitude cycles and a group of low amplitude cycles, wherein a selected number of such segments forms a data frame, and in which said decoder means is arranged to be responsive to such amplitude and width modulated segments.

Claim 4

The device as defined in claim 2 in which said signal conditioning means comprises automatic gain control means responsive only to signals having frequencies occurring in a narrow band around the frequency of such sinusoidal carrier wave, whereby such coded instructional information signals are maintained at a selected level, squaring means responsive to such high amplitude cycles, said squaring means producing a sequence of constant amplitude square waves, with the number of such square waves being equal to the number of such high amplitude cycles, and pulse sampling and detection means, latter means sampling each of such square waves with a plurality of sampling pulses and arranged to reject false pulses due to noise, interference and crosstalk, thereby passing only true information-bearing pulses and rejecting false pulses due to noise, interference and crosstalk.

Claim 5

The device as defined in claim 2 in which one of such segments in such data frame carries a synchronization signal and the remainder of such segments carry data signals for control of said illumination means, with the time of occurrence of a segment with respect to such synchronization segment representing the address of a specific one of said illumination means, and in which said decoder means identifies the time of occurrence of each of such synchronization segments and is responsive to the time of occurrence of data signals in each of such remainder of segments with reference to such synchronization segment.

Claim 6

The device as described in claim 4 in which said decoder means causes illumination of selected ones of said illumination means when modulation indicative of a ONE is detected in such data carrying segments and causes selected ones of said illumination means to be non-illuminated when modulation indicative of a ZERO is detected in such data carrying segments.

Claim 7

The device as defined in claim 2 in which said control means includes at least one matrix means interposed between said decoder means and said illumination means, said matrix means arranged to energize a large number of said illumination means than the number of such data carrying segments required to cause said control means to energize said matrix means.

Claim 8

The device as described in claim 5 in which said decoder means is responsive to at least one such datA carrying segment to control a function of such instrument.

Claim 9

The device as defined in claim 7 when utilized with such musical instrument having an automatic rhythm player, such automatic rhythm player having manual speed controls, said control means being responsive to a plurality of outputs of said decoder means to disable said automatic rhythm player from such manual speed control and to selectably control the speed and tempo of such automatic rhythm player in synchronism with the coded instructional information prerecorded on such tape, and at a speed and tempo determined by data prerecorded in a plurality of such segments.

Claim 10

The device as defined in claim 2 in which said control means includes multiplexing means and scanning means connected to said illumination means by a number of interconnection conductors, and arranged to control said illumination means whereby the number of said interconnection conductors between said illumination means and said multiplexing means is substantially less than the number of said illumination means.

Claim 11

The device as defined in claim 9 in which said plurality of illumination means are interconnected in an array having a plurality of rows and columns such that the product of the number of said rows and number of said columns is essentially equal to the number of said illumination means, and in which said scanning means causes each of said rows to be energized in sequence during each of such segments and in which said multiplexing means connects outputs from said decoder means to said columns in accordance with a predetermined pattern, whereby selected columns are energized in synchronism with such sequential energizing of said rows, and whereby said illumination means are thereby illuminated in response to such prerecorded instructional information.

Claim 12

The device defined in claim 10 in which said scanning means comprises clock means operating at a rate equal to the number of said rows multiplied by the rate of occurrence of such segments, and first counter means responsive to pulses from said clock means for producing a number of sequential output pulses that is equal to the number of said rows, as well as for producing a reset pulse occurring at the completion of such count, wherein such output pulses sequentially energize said rows, and in which said multiplexing means comprises second counter means for producing a sequence of binary coded pulses in response to pulses from said clock means and such reset pulse, a plurality of multiplexers, the number of said multiplexers being equal to number of said columns, said multiplexers being controlled in parallel by such binary coded pulses from said second counter means, wherein the number of such binary coded output pulses is equal to the number of said rows.

Claim 13

The device as defined in claim 2 in which said control means includes tape signal detection means, said latter means causing all of said illumination means to be set to a non-illuminated condition when the tape drive mechanism of said tape player is not operating at its normal forward speed.

Claim 14

The device defined in claim 2 in which said decoder comprises logic circuits responsive to the modulation pattern indicative of the start of a sequence in the first segment of the data frame, and to the modulation patterns indicative respectively of the ON and OFF conditions in the remaining segments of the data frame, said logic circuit sequentially causing illumination of all notes having their associated segments in the ON condition and sequentially causing the illumination to be extinguished for all notes illuminated during the previous data frame and for which their associated segments are in the OFF condition.

Claim 15

The device as defined in claim 1 in which the musical instrument used with said instruction device contains an automatic rhythm player, said control means being operatively interconnected with such automatic rhythm player so as to control its tempo in response to such prerecorded coded instrucTional information.

Claim 16

The device as defined in claim 1 in which selected ones of said illumination means provide functional instruction to the student in response to such coded information.

Claim 17

The device as defined in claim 15 in which such functional instruction is provided by chord change indication means, whereby an operator is alerted to forthcoming change of chord notes, and tab stop indication means whereby an operator is instructed to adjust indicated tab stops.

Claim 18

The device as defined in claim 2 in which chordal type information on occasion is involved, with at least one of such segments being allocated to the activation of an illumination means indicative of an impending chord change.

Claim 19

The device as defined in claim 2 in which said control means inludes tape speed indicator means, said latter means indicating by means of an indicator lamp when said tape player is operating at its normal speed within a selected tolerance.

Claim 20

The device as defined in claim 18 in which said indicator means includes means for comparing the frequency of such sinusoidal carrier wave with frequency reference means.

Claim 21

An electronic decoder and control device for accepting coded information from a tape player arranged to play a prerecorded magnetic tape containing such information in which the control device controls the illumination of a plurality of illumination means in response to such coded information, said electronic decoder and control device comprising decoder means responsive to such coded information prerecorded on the magnetic tape, a plurality of illumination means, control means for controlling the illumination of said illumination means and being connected to said decoder means, said control means having a number of control outputs at least as great as the number of said illumination means, multiplexing means and scanning means disposed between and connected to said control outputs and said illumination means by a number of interconnection conductors, wherein the number of interconnection conductors between said illumination means and said multiplexing and scanning means is significantly less than the number of said illumination means.

Claim 22

An electronic decoder and control device for accepting coded information from a tape player arranged to play a prerecorded magnetic tape containing such information in which the control device controls the illumination of a plurality of illumination means in response to such coded information, said electronic decoder and control device comprising decoder means responsive to such coded information prerecorded on the magnetic tape, a plurality of illumination means, control means for controlling the illumination of said illumination means and being connected to said decoder means, said control means having a number of control outputs at least as great as the number of said illumination means, multiplexing means and scanning means disposed between and connected to said control outputs and said illumination means by a number of interconnection conductors, wherein the number of interconnection conductors between said illumination means and said multiplexing and scanning means is significantly less than the number of said illumination means.

Claim 23

The device as defined in claim 20 in which such coded information is in the form of amplitude and width modulated segments of a sinusoidal carrier wave, with each segment consisting of a group of high amplitude cycles and a group of low amplitude cycles, wherein a selected number of such segments form a data frame, and in which said decoder means is arranged to be responsive to such amplitude and width modulated segments.

Claim 24

The device as defined in claim 21 in which signal conditioning means are utilized for accepting the coded information, latter means including automatic gain control means responsive only to signals having frequencies occurring in a narrow band around the frequency of such sinusoidal carrier wave, whereby such coded instructional information signals are maintained at a selected level, means for converting a sequence of such high amplitude cycles to a sequence of constant amplitude square waves, and pulse sampling and detection means for sampling each of such square waves with a plurality of sampling pulses and arranged to reject false pulses due to noise, interference and crosstalk.

Claim 25

The device as defined in claim 20 in which said illumination means are disposed within or adjacent selected keys of a keyboard instrument.

Claim 26

The device as defined in claim 20 in which said illumination means are disposed adjacent selected frets of a fretted instrument.

Claim 27

The device as defined in claim 20 in which aural instruction is provided on the magnetic tape, accompanying and supplementing the coded information.

Claim 28

An electronic decoder and control device for accepting coded information signals from a tape player arranged to play a prerecorded magnetic tape containing such coded information signals, in which the control device controls the illumination of a plurality of illumination means in response to such coded information signals, and in which at least a portion of the electronic circuits of said device are fabricated by means of large scale integration on a single semiconductor chip, said chip being mounted in a package having fewer external terminals for interconnection with the plurality of illumination means than the number of said illumination means, said electronic decoder and control device comprising decoder means responsive to coded information prerecorded on such magnetic tape, a plurality of illumination means, control means for controlling the illumination of said illumination means and being connected to said decoder means, said control means having a number of control outputs at least as great as the number of said illumination means, multiplexing means and scanning means disposed between and connected to said control outputs and said illumination means by a number of interconnection conductors, wherein the number of interconnection conductors between said illumination means and said multiplexing and scanning means is significantly less than the number of said illumination means.

Claim 29

An electronic decoder and control device for accepting coded information signals from a tape player arranged to play a prerecorded magnetic tape containing such coded information signals, in which the control device controls the illumination of a plurality of illumination means in response to such coded information signals, and in which at least a portion of the electronic circuits of said device are fabricated by means of large scale integration on a single semiconductor chip, said chip being mounted in a package having fewer external terminals for interconnection with the plurality of illumination means than the number of said illumination means, said electronic decoder and control device comprising decoder means responsive to coded information prerecorded on such magnetic tape, a plurality of illumination means, control means for controlling the illumination of said illumination means and being connected to said decoder means, said control means having a number of control outputs at least as great as the number of said illumination means, multiplexing means and scanning means disposed between and connected to said control outputs and said illumination means by a number of interconnection conductors, wherein the number of interconnection conductors between said illumination means and said multiplexing and scanning means is significantly less than the number of said illumination means.

Claim 30

An electronic decoder and control device for accepting coded information signals from a tape player arranged to play a prerecorded magnetic tape containing such coded information signals, in which the control device controls the illumination of a plurality of illumination means, said electronic decoder and control device comprising decoder means having a plurality of outputs, said decoder means being responsive to such coded information signals received from such tape player, thereby energizing each of said outputs for which the prerecorded magnetic tape is selectively prerecorded, a plurality of illumination means, control means connected to said illumination means for controlling the illumination thereof, matrix means connected to said decoder outputs, said matrix means having two groups of input terminals and one group of matrix output terminals, in which the number of said matrix output terminals is equal to the product of the number of said input terminals in each of said two groups of input terminals, and in which such number are selected to provide a greater number of said matrix output terminals than the total number of said input terminals, said group of matrix output terminals being connected to said control means, whereby said control means selectively causes illumination of said illumination means.

Claim 31

An electronic decoder and control device for accepting coded information signals from a tape player arranged to play a prerecorded magnetic tape containing such coded information signals, in which the control device controls the illumination of a plurality of illumination means, said electronic decoder and control device comprising decoder means having a plurality of outputs, said decoder means being responsive to such coded information signals received from such tape player, thereby energizing each of said outputs for which the prerecorded magnetic tape is selectively prerecorded, a plurality of illumination means, control means connected to said illumination means for controlling the illumination thereof, matrix means connected to said decoder outputs, said matrix means having two groups of input terminals and one group of matrix output terminals, in which the number of said matrix output terminals is equal to the product of the number of said input terminals in each of said two groups of input terminals, and in which such number are selected to provide a greater number of said matrix output terminals than the total number of said input terminals, said group of matrix output terminals being connected to said control means, whereby said control means selectively causes illumination of said illumination means.

Claim 32

The electronic decoder and control device as defined in claim 27 in which said device includes a plurality of said matrix means.

Claim 33

In a musical instrument which includes a set of tone signal generators, an output transducer, and at least one set of manually operated keys for controlling the transmission of corresponding tone signals to said transducer, programmable player instruction apparatus comprising: a set of illumination means each mounted in operative association with one of said keys; and programming means for operating selective subsets of said illumination means in prearranged sequences to signal subsets of keys to be operated to produce a musical program, said programming means comprising: analog data storage means for supplying a prerecorded sequence of encoded binary data signals grouped in frames; decoder means for decoding each of said encoded binary data signals in sequence; storage means for providing buffered storage of each of said decoded data signals in each frame in an associated binary digital storage element; and addressing means for operatively addressing said illumination means to operate selective subsets thereof in accordance with at least a portion of said stored data signals.

Claim 34

In a musical instrument which includes a set of tone signal generators, an output transducer, and at least one set of manually operated keys for controlling the transmission of corresponding tone signals to said transducer, programmable player instruction apparatus comprising: a set of illumination means each mounted in operative association with one of said keys; and programming means for operating selective subsets of said illumination means in prearranged sequences to signal subsets of keys to be operated to produce a musical program, said programming means comprising: analog data storage means for supplying a prerecorded sequence of encoded binary data signals grouped in frames; decoder means for decoding each of said encoded binary data signals in sequence; storage means for providing buffered storage of each of said decoded data signals in each frame in an associated binary digital storage element; and addressing means for operatively addressing said illumination means to operate selective subsets thereof in accordance with at least a portion of said stored data signals.

Claim 35

Apparatus as claimed in claim 29 wherein said instruction apparatus further comprises a plurality of rhythm voice generators and said programming means further comprises circuit means for operating respective ones of said rhythm voice generators in accordance with a portion of said stored data sigNals to produce a rhythm accompaniment at a tempo synchronized with the tempo of said musical program.

Claim 36

Apparatus as claimed in claim 29 wherein said musical instrument further includes an automatic rhythm pattern generator responsive to input clock signals to produce patterns of rhythm voices at a tempo corresponding to the rate of said clock signals, and said programming means further comprises: a programmed clock responsive to a portion of said stored data signals to supply clock signals at a preprogrammed rate to said automatic rhythm pattern generator, whereby the tempo of said rhythm pattern generator is synchronized with the tempo of said musical program.

Claim 37

Apparatus as claimed in claim 29 wherein at least one subset of said illumination means is grouped in n groups of m individual illumination means each; and said means for addressing and operating said illumination means comprise a data decoding matrix receiving n stored data signals for addressing said n groups of illumination means and m stored data signals for addressing individual illumination means within said n groups, such that during each data frame any illumination means in one of said groups may be operated.

Claim 38

Apparatus as claimed in claim 29 wherein said illumination means are operatively grouped in a rectangular matrix with individual row and column operating leads; and said means for addressing and operating said illumination means comprises: multiplexing means responsive to control signals for multiplexing data signals from said storage means onto said column operating leads; and multiplexing control means for supplying control signals to said multiplexing means and corresponding operating signals to said row operating leads in sequence, whereby successive row groupings of illumination means are operated in accordance with said stored data signals.

Claim 39

Apparatus as claimed in claim 29 wherein said illumination means are operatively grouped in a rectangular matrix with individual row and column operating leads and at least one subset of said illumination means is addressively grouped in n groups of m individual illumination means each; and said means for addressing and operating said illumination means comprises: at least one data decoding matrix receiving n stored data signals for addressing said n groups of illumination means and receiving m stored data signals for addressing individual illumination means within each of said n groups and generating a number of data signals equal to the product of n and m; multiplexing means responsive to control signals for multiplexing data signals from said storage means and said decoding matrix onto said column operating leads; and multiplexing control means for supplying control signals to said multiplexing means and corresponding operating signals to said row operating leads in sequence, whereby successive row groupings of said illumination means are operated in accordance with said stored data signals.