US3885490A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Single track sight and sound musical instrument instruction device
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1973-02-01
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Granted: 1975-05-27
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Expires: 1993-02-01
Abstract
Abstract A sight and sound instructional device for use with certain musical instruments, including keyboard instruments and fretted instruments, involving the use of illumination means associated with certain keys or frets of such instruments, in conjunction with means sensitive to certain coded information and connected to turn on the illumination means upon such information being received by a binary sequential decoding system utilized herein. This arrangement is particularly suitable for use by a beginning musician inasmuch as by the use of this invention, he or she can see certain keys or frets illuminated at such time as the decoder means receives the preascertained information. One preferred embodiment of this invention involves the use of instructional tapes containing voice instruction for the beginning musician recorded on a single magnetic tape track, said track also containing recorded coded information for causing keys or frets appropriate to the instruction to be illuminated at the proper time. Other facets of my invention include the tapes containing tempo information such that an automatic rhythm player that may be a part of a keyboard instrument can have its tempo controlled to match that of the instructional musical information also contained on the tape.
Inventors
- 👤 Cecil F Gullickson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 12:46
CPC Classifications
G; G09; G09B; G09B15/00; G09B15/08; G10; G10H; G10H1/00; G10H1/0033; G10H1/0041; G10H1/005
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim
283 words
A sight and sound instructional device for a musical instrument, comprising a plurality of illumination means adjacent the portions of the instrument to be contacted by the fingers of the player, control means operatively connected to said plurality of illumination means, a single track tape playing device arranged for playing a pre-recorded magnetic tape containing coded instructional information and aural instructional information both recorded on a single track on said magnetic tape, such coded instructional information and aural instructional information being superimposed on such single track, separation means connected to the output of said tape playing device and being responsive to such aural instructional information and to such coded visual instructional information, said separation means including two-channel filter means wherein a first of said channels effectively passes frequencies below a selected upper limit, and a second of said channels effectively passes frequencies higher than such upper limit and effectively rejects frequencies lower than such upper limit, said coded instructional information being limited to frequencies above such upper limit, and decoder means connected to the output of said second channel, said decoder means being responsive to modulated segments of a sinusoidal carrier wave, said carrier wave having a frequency higher than such selected upper limit, said decoder means having input means such that said decoder means responds to pre-recorded information supplied thereto, where such prerecorded information is modulated segments of said sinusoidal carrier wave, said decoder means operatively connected to said control means, thereby selectively causing the illumination of said plurality of illumination means singly and in various combinations and sequences for instruction of the player as determined by such instructional information, and simultaneously providing aural instruction to the player related to such illumination.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
283 words
A sight and sound instructional device for a musical instrument, comprising a plurality of illumination means adjacent the portions of the instrument to be contacted by the fingers of the player, control means operatively connected to said plurality of illumination means, a single track tape playing device arranged for playing a pre-recorded magnetic tape containing coded instructional information and aural instructional information both recorded on a single track on said magnetic tape, such coded instructional information and aural instructional information being superimposed on such single track, separation means connected to the output of said tape playing device and being responsive to such aural instructional information and to such coded visual instructional information, said separation means including two-channel filter means wherein a first of said channels effectively passes frequencies below a selected upper limit, and a second of said channels effectively passes frequencies higher than such upper limit and effectively rejects frequencies lower than such upper limit, said coded instructional information being limited to frequencies above such upper limit, and decoder means connected to the output of said second channel, said decoder means being responsive to modulated segments of a sinusoidal carrier wave, said carrier wave having a frequency higher than such selected upper limit, said decoder means having input means such that said decoder means responds to pre-recorded information supplied thereto, where such prerecorded information is modulated segments of said sinusoidal carrier wave, said decoder means operatively connected to said control means, thereby selectively causing the illumination of said plurality of illumination means singly and in various combinations and sequences for instruction of the player as determined by such instructional information, and simultaneously providing aural instruction to the player related to such illumination.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
364 words
A sight and sound instructionsl device for a musical instrument, comprising a plurality of illumination means adjacent the portions of the instrument to be cOntacted by the fingers of the player, control means operatively connected to said plurality of illumination means, a single track tape playing device arranged for playing a pre-recorded magnetic tape containing coded instructional information and aural instructional information both recorded on a single track on said magnetic tape, such coded instructional information and aural instructional information being superimposed on such single track, separation means connected to the output of said tape playing device for separating said coded instruction information and said aural instructional information, said separation means comprising two-channel filter means wherein a first of said channels effectively passes frequencies below a selected upper limit, such frequencies providing intelligible voice reproduction, and effectively rejects frequencies higher than such upper limit, and a second of said channels effectively passes frequencies higher than such upper limit and effectively rejects frequencies lower than such upper limit, said coded instructional information being limited to frequencies above such upper limit, said separation means thus being responsive to such aural instructional information and to such coded visual instructional information, first output means from said separation means permanently connecting said output of said tape playing device to audio amplifier means, said amplifier means provided with loudspeaker means for audible reproduction of said separated aural instructional information, second output means from said separation means permanently connecting said output of said tape playing device to decoder means responsive to said separated coded instructional information, said decoder means being responsive to modulated segments of a sinusoidal carrier wave, said carrier wave having a frequency higher than such selected upper limit, said decoder means having input means such that said decoder means responds to pre-recorded information supplied thereto, where such pre-recorded information is modulated segments of said sinusoidal carrier wave, said decoder means being operatively connected to said control means, thereby selectively causing the illumination of said plurality of illumination means singly and in various combinations and sequences for instruction of the player as determined by such instructional information, and simultaneously providing aural instruction to the player related to such illumination.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
364 words
A sight and sound instructionsl device for a musical instrument, comprising a plurality of illumination means adjacent the portions of the instrument to be cOntacted by the fingers of the player, control means operatively connected to said plurality of illumination means, a single track tape playing device arranged for playing a pre-recorded magnetic tape containing coded instructional information and aural instructional information both recorded on a single track on said magnetic tape, such coded instructional information and aural instructional information being superimposed on such single track, separation means connected to the output of said tape playing device for separating said coded instruction information and said aural instructional information, said separation means comprising two-channel filter means wherein a first of said channels effectively passes frequencies below a selected upper limit, such frequencies providing intelligible voice reproduction, and effectively rejects frequencies higher than such upper limit, and a second of said channels effectively passes frequencies higher than such upper limit and effectively rejects frequencies lower than such upper limit, said coded instructional information being limited to frequencies above such upper limit, said separation means thus being responsive to such aural instructional information and to such coded visual instructional information, first output means from said separation means permanently connecting said output of said tape playing device to audio amplifier means, said amplifier means provided with loudspeaker means for audible reproduction of said separated aural instructional information, second output means from said separation means permanently connecting said output of said tape playing device to decoder means responsive to said separated coded instructional information, said decoder means being responsive to modulated segments of a sinusoidal carrier wave, said carrier wave having a frequency higher than such selected upper limit, said decoder means having input means such that said decoder means responds to pre-recorded information supplied thereto, where such pre-recorded information is modulated segments of said sinusoidal carrier wave, said decoder means being operatively connected to said control means, thereby selectively causing the illumination of said plurality of illumination means singly and in various combinations and sequences for instruction of the player as determined by such instructional information, and simultaneously providing aural instruction to the player related to such illumination.
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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) | 1978-05-26 | 1978-11-25 | 1979-05-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-05-26 | 1982-11-25 | 1983-05-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-05-26 | 1986-11-25 | 1987-05-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |