US3969969A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Musical instrument with means for scanning keys
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1974-07-22
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Granted: 1976-07-20
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Expires: 1994-07-22
Abstract
Abstract A new, performer played, real time, multitonal, multimbral musical instrument consists of speed and force sensitive keys in which time domain multiplexing is used to find and associate one and only one tone generator, not otherwise busy, with any key that is depressed. The sound generator disclosed can provide very realistic simulations of the flute, oboe, trumpet, French horn, trombone through the provision of various types of modulations in amplitude and frequency of the various partials, as is characteristic of each instrument simulated, and filtered noise. Glissandi are provided from one note to another and are controlled from the pair of keys involved by the relative pressure with which they are depressed. For the nonpercussive tonalities, the speed with which a key is depressed, which is determined by differentiating the force, may be used to cause the attack transient to behave in a manner very characteristic of the instrument being simulated. The force with which a key is depressed is determined from the rate of rise of the potential across a capacitive keying system excited through a resistor. Percussive sound generators are provided also; the intensity of the notes generated by these generators is determined by the speed with which the associated key is depressed. The force with which the associated key is depressed can be used to determine the rate of automatic repetition of the note. The speed with which a key is depressed can also be used for nonpercussive instruments to alter the character of the attack transient.
Inventors
- 👤 Melville Clark, Jr.
- 👤 David A. Luce
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 20:56
CPC Classifications
G; G10; G10H; G10H1/00; G10H1/02; G10H1/04; G10H1/053; G10H1/055; G10H1/0558; G10H1/18; G10H1/183; G10H1/185; G10H2210/00; G10H2210/155; G10H2210/195; G10H2210/201; G10H2210/211; G10H2210/395; G10H2210/401; G10H2210/411; G10H2230/00; G10H2230/045; G10H2230/155; G10H2230/171; G10H2230/175; G10H2230/181; G10H2230/185; G10H2230/191; G10H2230/195; G10H2230/205; G10H2230/225; G10H2250/00; G10H2250/471; G10H2250/475
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
221 words
Sound generating apparatus comprising, output means, a plurality of tone generators coupled to said output means for providing note signals with each including means for producing any of a large common plurality of frequencies characterizing respective musical notes over at least an octave, a plurality of note selecting means for selecting note signals characteristic of selected notes for production by said tone generators where each note selecting means includes means upon selection for providing a note selection signal representing a unique contribution to a signal waveform on said output means which note selection signal is representative of at least one of note pitch, speed of note selection and force applied to note selecting means, control means coupled to said tone generators for providing a continuous data signal representative of the selected note signals and for selecting which of said tone generators coupled to said output means is to provide said note signal, and scanning means responsive to said note selecting means for coupling the selected note selection signals to said control means, wherein said note selecting means comprises a plurality of force sensitive members for receiving at least one of vertical and horizontal forces and means associated with each such member for providing at least one of vertical and horizontal signals respectively representative of the vertical and horizontal forces applied thereto.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
221 words
Sound generating apparatus comprising, output means, a plurality of tone generators coupled to said output means for providing note signals with each including means for producing any of a large common plurality of frequencies characterizing respective musical notes over at least an octave, a plurality of note selecting means for selecting note signals characteristic of selected notes for production by said tone generators where each note selecting means includes means upon selection for providing a note selection signal representing a unique contribution to a signal waveform on said output means which note selection signal is representative of at least one of note pitch, speed of note selection and force applied to note selecting means, control means coupled to said tone generators for providing a continuous data signal representative of the selected note signals and for selecting which of said tone generators coupled to said output means is to provide said note signal, and scanning means responsive to said note selecting means for coupling the selected note selection signals to said control means, wherein said note selecting means comprises a plurality of force sensitive members for receiving at least one of vertical and horizontal forces and means associated with each such member for providing at least one of vertical and horizontal signals respectively representative of the vertical and horizontal forces applied thereto.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
Sound generating apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said force sensitive members are semiflexible means and have at least one strain sensor affixed thereto comprising means for providing said force signals.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
Sound generating apparatus in accordance with claim 1 and further comprising first and second orthogonal flat springs supporting each member for providing vertical and horizontal restoring forces respectively.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
Sound generating apparatus in accordance with claim 1 and further comprising means responsive to said forces for controlling the rate of repetition of a characteristic of the signal provided by the associated tone generator.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
Sound generating apparatus in accordance with claim 1 and further comprising automatic repeat circuit means associated with and coupkled to a selected tone generator coupled to and driven by a voltage-controlled oscillator responsive to said forces.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
57 words
Sound generating apparatus in accordance with claim 5 wherein said automatic repeat circuit means comprises means for providing percussive tone signals and further comprising, amplifying means coupled between a source of a signal representative of one of said forces and said voltage-controlled oscillator input for preventing automatic repetition when the force is less than a predetermined value.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
Sound generating apparatus in accordance with claim 4 and further comprising means responsive to the rate of change of one of said forces for controlling the intensity of the tone signal provided by an associated tone generator.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
197 words
Sound generating apparatus comprising, output means, a plurality of tone generators coupled to said output means for providing note signals with each including means for producing any of a large common plurality of frequencies characterizing respective musical notes over at least an octave, a plurality of note selecting means for selecting note signals characteristic of selected notes for production by said tone generators where each note selecting means includes means upon selection for providing a note selection signal representing a unique contribution to a signal waveform on said output means which note selection signal is representative of at least one of note pitch, speed of note selection and force applied to note selecting means, control means coupled to said tone generators for providing a continuous data signal representative of the selected note signals and for selecting which of said tone generators coupled to said output means is to provide said note signal, and scanning means responsive to said note selecting means for coupling the selected note selection signals to said control means, wherein said note selecting means comprises means defining a keying capacitance and means responsive to a force coupled to and for varying said keying capacitance.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
197 words
Sound generating apparatus comprising, output means, a plurality of tone generators coupled to said output means for providing note signals with each including means for producing any of a large common plurality of frequencies characterizing respective musical notes over at least an octave, a plurality of note selecting means for selecting note signals characteristic of selected notes for production by said tone generators where each note selecting means includes means upon selection for providing a note selection signal representing a unique contribution to a signal waveform on said output means which note selection signal is representative of at least one of note pitch, speed of note selection and force applied to note selecting means, control means coupled to said tone generators for providing a continuous data signal representative of the selected note signals and for selecting which of said tone generators coupled to said output means is to provide said note signal, and scanning means responsive to said note selecting means for coupling the selected note selection signals to said control means, wherein said note selecting means comprises means defining a keying capacitance and means responsive to a force coupled to and for varying said keying capacitance.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
Sound generating apparatus in accordance with claim 8 and further comprising means for converting said capacitance into a time interval representative thereof.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
33 words
Sound generating apparatus in accordance with claim 9 wherein the latter means comprises a capacitor and means for charging said capacitor for said time interval and discharging said capacitor after said time interval.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
27 words
Sound generating apparatus in accordance with claim 8 wherein said keying capacitance comprises a keyable plate separated from another plate by a material of high dielectric constant.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
24 words
Sound generating apparatus in accordance with claim 11 and further comprising a conductive elastomer sandwiched between said dielectric material and one of said plates.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
55 words
Sound generating apparatus in accordance with claim 8 wherein said keying capacitance introduces delay and further comprising means for deriving a signal representative of the force applied in note selection by sensing the time delay introduced by said keying capacitance in excess of a minimum time delay sufficient to establish selection of the associated note.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
29 words
Sound generating apparatus in accordance with claim 13 wherein said means for sensing comprises means for sensing the rate of rise of a signal associated with said keying capacitance.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
47 words
Sound generating apparatus in accordance with claim 8 and further comprising means responsive to variation in said keying capacitance for providing a potential change, and means for detecting the time interval for the latter potential change to reach a predetermined magnitude to determine selection of a note.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
208 words
Sound generating apparatus comprising, output means, a plurality of tone generators coupled to said output means for providing note signals with each including means for producing any of a large common plurality of frequencies characterizing respective musical notes over at least an octave, a plurality of note selecting means for selecting note signals characteristic of selected notes for production by said tone generators where each note selecting means includes means upon selection for providing a note selection signal representing a unique contribution to a signal waveform on said output means which note selection signal is representative of at least one of note pitch, speed of note selection and force applied to note selecting means, control means coupled to said tone generators for providing a continuous data signal representative of the selected note signals and for selecting which of said tone generators coupled to said output means is to provide said note signal, and scanning means responsive to said note selecting means for coupling the selected note selection signals to said control means, wherein said tone generators comprise, an amplitude modulator, and a frequency divider coupled to said amplitude modulator having means for providing a transient pulse train modulated by said amplitude modulator in accordance with a predetermined envelope.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
208 words
Sound generating apparatus comprising, output means, a plurality of tone generators coupled to said output means for providing note signals with each including means for producing any of a large common plurality of frequencies characterizing respective musical notes over at least an octave, a plurality of note selecting means for selecting note signals characteristic of selected notes for production by said tone generators where each note selecting means includes means upon selection for providing a note selection signal representing a unique contribution to a signal waveform on said output means which note selection signal is representative of at least one of note pitch, speed of note selection and force applied to note selecting means, control means coupled to said tone generators for providing a continuous data signal representative of the selected note signals and for selecting which of said tone generators coupled to said output means is to provide said note signal, and scanning means responsive to said note selecting means for coupling the selected note selection signals to said control means, wherein said tone generators comprise, an amplitude modulator, and a frequency divider coupled to said amplitude modulator having means for providing a transient pulse train modulated by said amplitude modulator in accordance with a predetermined envelope.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
116 words
Sound generating apparatus comprising, note selecting means for providing note selection signals characteristic of selected musical notes, a source of electrical signals having audio frequency components and at least one transient component, means coupled to said source of electrical signals and responsive to said note selection signals for controlling the frequencies of said frequency components and said transient component, means coupled to said note selecting means for providing an ON signal to said source of electrical signals only if an associated note is selected by said note selecting means, and means coupled to said source of electrical signals for controlling the said transient commponent as a function of the frequency of the associated selected musical note.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
116 words
Sound generating apparatus comprising, note selecting means for providing note selection signals characteristic of selected musical notes, a source of electrical signals having audio frequency components and at least one transient component, means coupled to said source of electrical signals and responsive to said note selection signals for controlling the frequencies of said frequency components and said transient component, means coupled to said note selecting means for providing an ON signal to said source of electrical signals only if an associated note is selected by said note selecting means, and means coupled to said source of electrical signals for controlling the said transient commponent as a function of the frequency of the associated selected musical note.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
37 words
Sound generating apparatus in accordance with claim 17 and further comprising means coupled to said source of electrical signals for additionally controlling said frequency components in accordance with the degree of selection by said note selecting means.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
22 words
Sound generating apparatus in accordance with claim 17 wherein said source includes at least one transient component which is an attack transient.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
22 words
Sound generating apparatus in accordance with claim 17 wherein said source includes at least one transient component which is a decay transient.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
35 words
Sound generating apparatus in accordance with claim 19 wherein said means for controlling includes means for controlling the duration of said attack transient as a function of the frequency of the associated selected musical note.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
31 words
Sound generating apparatus in accordance with claim 20 and further comprising means coupled to said source for changing the relative amplitudes of said audio frequency components as a function of time.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
31 words
Sound generating apparatus in accordance with claim 19 and further comprising means coupled and responsive to said ON signal for initiating a perturbation in said frequencies for a predetermined time duration.
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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) | 1979-07-20 | 1980-01-19 | 1980-07-20 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1983-07-20 | 1984-01-19 | 1984-07-20 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1987-07-20 | 1988-01-19 | 1988-07-20 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |