US5777248A — Tuning indicator for musical instruments

Claim 1

Independent Claim 250 words

A tuning aid for musical instruments comprising: (a) a note/octave display comprising indication elements arranged in a pattern around two concentric circles to resemble a clock face having an inside pattern corresponding to an hour hand designating an octave and an outside pattern corresponding to a minute hand designating the twelve notes of a chromatic scale; (b) a strobe display array consisting of a plurality of luminous elements arranged in a circular pattern; (c) a reference frequency generating means of generating a reference frequency; (d) a control means of controlling the reference frequency to a desired note to be tuned and controlling the note/octave display accordingly; (e) a means of enabling each element of said strobe display sequentially at a rate such that said strobe display cycles once for each two periods of said reference frequency, each enabled element having an intensity; (f) a means of inputting a signal having a peak level for analysis; (g) a level control means of automatically controlling the peak level of said signal to a predetermined level and producing a level controlled output; (h) a filtering means of receiving the level controlled output and producing a filtered output; (i) a positive rectifying means of positive rectification of the filtered output of said filtering means and producing a positive rectified output having an instantaneous magnitude; (j) a means of controlling the intensity of the enabled element of said strobe display according to the instantaneous magnitude of the positive rectified output of said positive rectifying means.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 250 words

A tuning aid for musical instruments comprising: (a) a note/octave display comprising indication elements arranged in a pattern around two concentric circles to resemble a clock face having an inside pattern corresponding to an hour hand designating an octave and an outside pattern corresponding to a minute hand designating the twelve notes of a chromatic scale; (b) a strobe display array consisting of a plurality of luminous elements arranged in a circular pattern; (c) a reference frequency generating means of generating a reference frequency; (d) a control means of controlling the reference frequency to a desired note to be tuned and controlling the note/octave display accordingly; (e) a means of enabling each element of said strobe display sequentially at a rate such that said strobe display cycles once for each two periods of said reference frequency, each enabled element having an intensity; (f) a means of inputting a signal having a peak level for analysis; (g) a level control means of automatically controlling the peak level of said signal to a predetermined level and producing a level controlled output; (h) a filtering means of receiving the level controlled output and producing a filtered output; (i) a positive rectifying means of positive rectification of the filtered output of said filtering means and producing a positive rectified output having an instantaneous magnitude; (j) a means of controlling the intensity of the enabled element of said strobe display according to the instantaneous magnitude of the positive rectified output of said positive rectifying means.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 33 words

A tuning aid as in claim 1 wherein said filtering means is configured in low pass mode and is adjusted by said control means to attenuate signal harmonics higher than said reference frequency.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 31 words

A tuning aid as in claim 1 wherein said filtering means is configured in band pass mode and is controlled by said control means to pass only a selected signal harmonic.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 33 words

A tuning aid as in claim 1 in which the filtering means is connected to a fundamental period detection means which is connected to said control means controlling a sharp/flat indication means accordingly.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 60 words

A tuning aid as in claim 1 in which the filtering means is connected to a fundamental period detection means which determines the input signal's fundamental frequency and is connected to said control means which automatically selects the note from the chromatic scale closest to the input signal fundamental frequency and sets said reference frequency and said note/octave display accordingly.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 28 words

A tuning aid as in claim 1 including a reference tone generation means connected to a speaker and an output jack wherein an audible reference tone is provided.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 215 words

A tuning aid for musical instruments comprising: (a) a strobe display array consisting of a plurality of luminous elements arranged in a circular pattern; (b) a reference frequency generating means of generating a reference frequency; (c) a control means of controlling the reference frequency to a desired note to be tuned; (d) a means of enabling each element of said strobe display sequentially at a rate such that said strobe display cycles once for each two periods of said reference frequency; each enabled element having an intensity; (e) a means of inputting a signal having a peak level for analysis; (f) a means of automatically controlling the peak level of said signal to a predetermined level and producing a level controlled output; (g) a filtering means of filtering said level controlled output configured in tracking low pass mode which is controlled by said control means to attenuate signal harmonics higher than said reference frequency and producing a filtered output; (h) a positive rectifying means of positive rectification of the filtered output of said filtering means and producing a positive rectified output having an instantaneous magnitude; (i) a means of controlling the intensity of the enabled element of said strobe display according to the instantaneous magnitude of the positive rectified output of said positive rectifying means.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 215 words

A tuning aid for musical instruments comprising: (a) a strobe display array consisting of a plurality of luminous elements arranged in a circular pattern; (b) a reference frequency generating means of generating a reference frequency; (c) a control means of controlling the reference frequency to a desired note to be tuned; (d) a means of enabling each element of said strobe display sequentially at a rate such that said strobe display cycles once for each two periods of said reference frequency; each enabled element having an intensity; (e) a means of inputting a signal having a peak level for analysis; (f) a means of automatically controlling the peak level of said signal to a predetermined level and producing a level controlled output; (g) a filtering means of filtering said level controlled output configured in tracking low pass mode which is controlled by said control means to attenuate signal harmonics higher than said reference frequency and producing a filtered output; (h) a positive rectifying means of positive rectification of the filtered output of said filtering means and producing a positive rectified output having an instantaneous magnitude; (i) a means of controlling the intensity of the enabled element of said strobe display according to the instantaneous magnitude of the positive rectified output of said positive rectifying means.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 58 words

A tuning aid as in claim 7 comprising in addition a negative rectification means attached to said filtering means wherein said luminous elements can emit two separate colors of light wherein the intensity of the first color is controlled by said positive rectifier means and the intensity of the second color is controlled by said negative rectifier means.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 31 words

A tuning aid as in claim 7 wherein said filtering means is configured in band pass mode and is controlled by said control means to pass only a selected signal harmonic.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 33 words

A tuning aid as in claim 7 in which said input means is connected to a fundamental period detection means which is connected to said control means controlling a sharp/flat indication means accordingly.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 61 words

A tuning aid as in claim 7 in which said input means is connected to a fundamental period detection means which determines the input signal's fundamental frequency and is connected to said control means to automatically select the note from the chromatic scale closest to the input signal fundamental frequency and set said reference frequency and a note/octave indicator means accordingly.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 118 words

A tuning aid for musical instruments comprising: (a) a note/octave display comprising indication elements arranged in a pattern around two concentric circles to resemble a clock face having an inside pattern corresponding to an hour hand designating an octave and an outside pattern corresponding to a minute hand designating the twelve notes of a chromatic scale; (b) a signal input means of inputting a signal for analysis; (c) a fundamental period detector means connected to said signal input means, for determining the fundamental period of the input signal; (d) a control means connected to said fundamental period detector means which identifies the note from a chromatic scale closest to said fundamental period and controls the note/octave display accordingly.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 118 words

A tuning aid for musical instruments comprising: (a) a note/octave display comprising indication elements arranged in a pattern around two concentric circles to resemble a clock face having an inside pattern corresponding to an hour hand designating an octave and an outside pattern corresponding to a minute hand designating the twelve notes of a chromatic scale; (b) a signal input means of inputting a signal for analysis; (c) a fundamental period detector means connected to said signal input means, for determining the fundamental period of the input signal; (d) a control means connected to said fundamental period detector means which identifies the note from a chromatic scale closest to said fundamental period and controls the note/octave display accordingly.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 42 words

A tuning aid as in claim 12 comprising in addition a sharp/flat indicator means wherein said control means determines the difference between the fundamental period and the note closest to it in a chromatic scale and controls said sharp/flat indication means accordingly.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2001-07-06	2002-01-05	2002-07-07	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2005-07-06	2006-01-05	2006-07-07	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2009-07-06	2010-01-05	2010-07-07	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Tuning indicator for musical instruments

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