Low profile keyboard device and system for recording and scoring music

Claim 1

A portable, modular apparatus for acquiring data representative of a live musical performance on a selected keyboard instrument, said apparatus being removable positionable atop a back portion of the keyboard of the instrument, said apparatus comprising: a housing designed with slots to fit atop a predetermined span of black and white keys on the keyboard of the selected keyboard instrument, said housing being structured for disposition atop the back portion of the keyboard and to operatively cover the predetermined span of keys on the keyboard; reflective coupler means disposed within said housing, said reflective coupler means comprising light emitting means disposed to impinge light onto each key on the keyboard covered by said predetermined span means for receiving said light reflected by each of the keys in accordance with the amount the key is depressed, and means for providing an electrical analog output signal corresponding to the amount of reflected light received from the key, and means operatively connected to said reflective coupler means for monitoring the electrical analog output signal from said electrical analog output signal providing means to acquire data representative of the live musical performance.

Claim 15

A method for acquiring data representative of a performance on a keyboard instrument comprising: for each key within a selected group of keys on the keyboard instrument, (a) emitting light from a source, (b) impinging the light onto the key, (c) reflecting the light from the key onto a photodetector in accordance with the amount the key is depressed to generate an electrical analog output signal indicative of the amount of key depression, using steps (a), (b), and (c), in accordance with a clock signal, sequentially initiating the electrical analog ouput signal for each key within the group of keys sufficiently frequently to provide a series of electrical analog output signals representative of key depression as a function of time, comprising key striking and release velocities. monitoring the series of electrical analog output signals for each key to acquire data representative of the performance, and comparing the strengths of consecutive electrical analog output signals within the series from each key within the group of keys to determine if a change in the amount of depression for each key has occurred and generating note expression data representative of key strike and release velocity when the signal strength comparison step indicates a change in key depression has occurred for a key.

Claim 16

A method for acquiring data representative of a performance on a keyboard instrument comprising: for each key within a selected group of keys on the keyboard instrument, (a) emitting light from a source, (b) impinging the light onto the key, (c) reflecting the light from the key onto a photodetector in accordance with the amount the key is depressed to generate an electrical analog output signal indicative of the amount of key depression, using steps (a), (b), and (c), in accordance with a clock signal, sequentially initiating the electrical analog ouput signal for each key within the group of keys sufficiently frequently to provide a series of electrical analog output signals representative of key depression as a function of time, comprising key striking and release velocities. monitoring the series of electrical analog output signals for each key to acquire data representative of the performance, and comparing the strengths of consecutive electrical analog output signals within the series from each key within the group of keys to determine if a change in the amount of depression for each key has occurred and generating note expression data representative of key strike and release velocity when the signal strength comparison step indicates a change in key depression has occurred for a key.