System for transcribing analog signals, particularly musical notes, having characteristic frequencies and durations into corresponding visible indicia

Claim 1

A system for translating a series of analog signals having characteristic frequencies and durations into written indicia representing said signals, said system comprising: means for converting said analog signals into a corresponding series of electrical signals having corresponding characteristic frequencies and durations; means for generating a series of digital signals corresponding to said electrical signals, said series of digital signals reflecting the characteristic frequencies of said corresponding analog signals and for counting the number of digital signals occuring in said latter series during successive time intervals of predetermined length to produce counts having values corresponding to the frequencies and durations of said analog signals; means for producing a series of indicia codes from the counts produced by said generating and counting means, said series of indicia codes corresponding to said series of digital signals, each of said indicia codes also representing both the frequency and the duration of a corresponding one of said analog signals; and means for printing indicia representing said indicia codes on a record medium, said printing indicia identifying both the frequency and the duration of corresponding ones of said analog signals.

Claim 2

A system for translating a series of analog signals having characteristic frequencies and durations into written indicia representing said signals, said system comprising: means for converting said analog signals into a corresponding series of electrical signals having corresponding characteristic frequencies and durations; means for generating a series of digital signals corresponding to said electrical signals, said series of digital signals reflecting the characteristic frequencies of said corresponding analog signals and for counting the number of digital signals occuring in said latter series during successive time intervals of predetermined length to produce counts having values corresponding to the frequencies and durations of said analog signals; means for producing a series of indicia codes from the counts produced by said generating and counting means, said series of indicia codes corresponding to said series of digital signals, each of said indicia codes also representing both the frequency and the duration of a corresponding one of said analog signals; and means for printing indicia representing said indicia codes on a record medium, said printing indicia identifying both the frequency and the duration of corresponding ones of said analog signals.

Claim 5

A system for translating a series of analog signals having characteristic frequencies and durations into written indicia representing such signals, said system comprising: means for converting said analog signals into a corresponding series of electrical signals having corresponding characteristic frequencies and durations, said electrical signals having continuous transitions between positive values and negative values through a zero value; means for generating a series of digital signals corresponding to said electrical signals, said series of digital signals reflecting the characteristic frequencies of said corresponding analog signals, and for counting the number of digital signals occurring in said latter series during successive time intervals of predetermined length to produce counts having values corresponding to the frequencies and durations of said analog signals, said generating and counting means comprising frequency digitizier circuit means (a) for generating a pulse train of digital signals corresponding to said electrical signals, (b) for producing said counts by counting the number of signals in said pulse train occurring during cyclic time intervals of a predetermined duration, and (c) for storing such counts, said frequency digitizer circuit means including: comparator means for producing a series of digital pulses having leading edges and trailing edges, each leading edge of a said digital pulse coinciding with a transition in a said electrical signal from a positive value to a zero value, and each trailing edge of a said digital pulse coinciding with a transition of a said electrical signal from a negative value to a zero value; pulse-doubling means for generating digital signals for each leading edge and for each trailing edge of said digital pulse; pulse-combining means for producing a serial train of said digital signals generated by said pulse-doubling means; means for counting the signals in said train of digital signals to produce counts of said signals corresponding to the frequencies thereof; buffer means coupled to said counting means for receiving and storing said produced counts; and timer means coupled to said counting means and said buffer means (a) for cyclically transferring the contents of said counting means to said buffer means at uniform, predetermined time intervals, said transferred contents including a said count corresponding to the number of transitions from a positive value to a zero value and from a negative value to a zero value occurring in said analog signals during a said time interval, (b) for generating pulses to reset said counting means and said buffer means, and (c) for producing buffer-empyting pulses for initiating transfers of said counts stored in said buffer means to said producing means; means for producing a series of indicia codes from the counts produced by said generating and counting means, said series of indicia codes corresponding to said series of digital signals, each of said indicia codes also representing both the frequency and the duration of a corresponding one of said analog signals; and means for printing indicia representing said indicia codes on a record medium, said printed indicia identifying both the frequency and the duration of corresponding ones of said analog signals.

Claim 6

A system for translating a series of analog signals having characteristic frequencies and durations into written indicia representing such signals, said system comprising: means for converting said analog signals into a corresponding series of electrical signals having corresponding characteristic frequencies and durations, said electrical signals having continuous transitions between positive values and negative values through a zero value; means for generating a series of digital signals corresponding to said electrical signals, said series of digital signals reflecting the characteristic frequencies of said corresponding analog signals, and for counting the number of digital signals occurring in said latter series during successive time intervals of predetermined length to produce counts having values corresponding to the frequencies and durations of said analog signals, said generating and counting means comprising frequency digitizier circuit means (a) for generating a pulse train of digital signals corresponding to said electrical signals, (b) for producing said counts by counting the number of signals in said pulse train occurring during cyclic time intervals of a predetermined duration, and (c) for storing such counts, said frequency digitizer circuit means including: comparator means for producing a series of digital pulses having leading edges and trailing edges, each leading edge of a said digital pulse coinciding with a transition in a said electrical signal from a positive value to a zero value, and each trailing edge of a said digital pulse coinciding with a transition of a said electrical signal from a negative value to a zero value; pulse-doubling means for generating digital signals for each leading edge and for each trailing edge of said digital pulse; pulse-combining means for producing a serial train of said digital signals generated by said pulse-doubling means; means for counting the signals in said train of digital signals to produce counts of said signals corresponding to the frequencies thereof; buffer means coupled to said counting means for receiving and storing said produced counts; and timer means coupled to said counting means and said buffer means (a) for cyclically transferring the contents of said counting means to said buffer means at uniform, predetermined time intervals, said transferred contents including a said count corresponding to the number of transitions from a positive value to a zero value and from a negative value to a zero value occurring in said analog signals during a said time interval, (b) for generating pulses to reset said counting means and said buffer means, and (c) for producing buffer-empyting pulses for initiating transfers of said counts stored in said buffer means to said producing means; means for producing a series of indicia codes from the counts produced by said generating and counting means, said series of indicia codes corresponding to said series of digital signals, each of said indicia codes also representing both the frequency and the duration of a corresponding one of said analog signals; and means for printing indicia representing said indicia codes on a record medium, said printed indicia identifying both the frequency and the duration of corresponding ones of said analog signals.

Claim 10

A system for translating audio tones into written indicia representing said audio tones, said system comprising: transducer means for converting said audio tones into corresponding electrical signals; frequency digitizer circuit means (a) for generating a pulse train of digital signals corresponding to said electrical signals, (b) for producing counts corresponding to the duration of each of the audio tones by counting the number of signals in said pulse train occurring during cyclic time intervals of a predetermined duration, (c) for storing said counts and (d) for producing frequency indicia corresponding to the frequency of each of said audio tones; means for producing a series of indicia codes from the counts and the frequency indicia produced by said frequency digitizer circuit means, said series of indicia codes corresponding to said pulse train of digital signals, each of said indicia codes representing both the frequency and the duration of a corresponding one of said audio tones; and means for printing visible images representing said indicia codes.

Claim 11

A system for translating audio tones into written indicia representing said audio tones, said system comprising: transducer means for converting said audio tones into corresponding electrical signals; frequency digitizer circuit means (a) for generating a pulse train of digital signals corresponding to said electrical signals, (b) for producing counts corresponding to the duration of each of the audio tones by counting the number of signals in said pulse train occurring during cyclic time intervals of a predetermined duration, (c) for storing said counts and (d) for producing frequency indicia corresponding to the frequency of each of said audio tones; means for producing a series of indicia codes from the counts and the frequency indicia produced by said frequency digitizer circuit means, said series of indicia codes corresponding to said pulse train of digital signals, each of said indicia codes representing both the frequency and the duration of a corresponding one of said audio tones; and means for printing visible images representing said indicia codes.

Claim 13

A system for translating audio tones into written indicia representing said audio tones, said system comprising: transducer means for converting said audio tones into corresponding electrical signals, said transducer means comprising a microphone and said electrical signals including continuous transitions between positive values and negative values through a zero value; frequency digitizer circuit means (a) for generating a pulse train of digital signals corresponding to said electrical signals, (b) for producing counts corresponding to the duration of each of the audio tones by counting the number of signals in said pulse train occurring during cyclic time intervals of a predetermined duration, (c) for storing said counts, and (d) for producing frequency indicia corresponding to the frequency of each of said audio tones, said frequency digitizer circuit means comprising: comparator means for producing a series of digital pulses having leading edges and trailing edges, each leading edge of a said digital pulse coinciding with a transition in a said electrical signal from a positive value to a zero value, and each trailing edge of a said digital pulse coinciding with a transition of a said electrical signal from a negative value to a zero value; pulse-doubling means for generating a digital signal for each leading edge and for each trailing edge of a said digital pulse; pulsing-combing means for producing said pulse train from said digital signals generated by said pulse-doubling means; means for counting the signals in said pulse train of digital signals produced by said pulse-combining; buffer means coupled to said counting means; and timer means coupled to said counting means and said buffer means (1) for cyclically transferring the contents of said counting means to said buffer means at uniform, predetermined time intervals, said transferred contents constituting a count corresponding to the number of transitions from a positive value to a zero value and from a negative value to a zero value occuring in said audio tone during a said time interval, (2) for generating pulses to reset said counting means and said buffer means, and (3) for producing buffer-emptying pulses for initiating transfers of said counts stored in said buffer means to said processing means; means for producing a series of indicia codes from said counts and said frequency indicia produced by said frequency digitizer circuit means, said series of indicia codes corresponding to said pulse train of digital signals, each of said indicia codes representing both a frequency and a duration of a corresponding one of said audio tones; and means for printing visible images representing said indicia.

Claim 14

A system for translating audio tones into written indicia representing said audio tones, said system comprising: transducer means for converting said audio tones into corresponding electrical signals, said transducer means comprising a microphone and said electrical signals including continuous transitions between positive values and negative values through a zero value; frequency digitizer circuit means (a) for generating a pulse train of digital signals corresponding to said electrical signals, (b) for producing counts corresponding to the duration of each of the audio tones by counting the number of signals in said pulse train occurring during cyclic time intervals of a predetermined duration, (c) for storing said counts, and (d) for producing frequency indicia corresponding to the frequency of each of said audio tones, said frequency digitizer circuit means comprising: comparator means for producing a series of digital pulses having leading edges and trailing edges, each leading edge of a said digital pulse coinciding with a transition in a said electrical signal from a positive value to a zero value, and each trailing edge of a said digital pulse coinciding with a transition of a said electrical signal from a negative value to a zero value; pulse-doubling means for generating a digital signal for each leading edge and for each trailing edge of a said digital pulse; pulsing-combing means for producing said pulse train from said digital signals generated by said pulse-doubling means; means for counting the signals in said pulse train of digital signals produced by said pulse-combining; buffer means coupled to said counting means; and timer means coupled to said counting means and said buffer means (1) for cyclically transferring the contents of said counting means to said buffer means at uniform, predetermined time intervals, said transferred contents constituting a count corresponding to the number of transitions from a positive value to a zero value and from a negative value to a zero value occuring in said audio tone during a said time interval, (2) for generating pulses to reset said counting means and said buffer means, and (3) for producing buffer-emptying pulses for initiating transfers of said counts stored in said buffer means to said processing means; means for producing a series of indicia codes from said counts and said frequency indicia produced by said frequency digitizer circuit means, said series of indicia codes corresponding to said pulse train of digital signals, each of said indicia codes representing both a frequency and a duration of a corresponding one of said audio tones; and means for printing visible images representing said indicia.