US5859378A — Musical instrument self-tuning system with capo m…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 125 words

A control system for an automatically tuned fretted stringed instrument adapted for use with a capo installed on one fret, said instrument having a plurality of strings, each string having an actuator connected thereto, said instrument further having a transducer coupled to said strings, said control system comprising: a processor adapted to be coupled to the transducer and to the actuators, said processor including means for receiving a transducer signal from said transducer, means for obtaining the measured frequency of each of said plurality of strings from said transducer signal, means for scaling said measured frequency of each string by a capo scale factor, means for generating control signals in accordance with the scaled frequencies, and means for outputting said control signals to said actuators.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 125 words

A control system for an automatically tuned fretted stringed instrument adapted for use with a capo installed on one fret, said instrument having a plurality of strings, each string having an actuator connected thereto, said instrument further having a transducer coupled to said strings, said control system comprising: a processor adapted to be coupled to the transducer and to the actuators, said processor including means for receiving a transducer signal from said transducer, means for obtaining the measured frequency of each of said plurality of strings from said transducer signal, means for scaling said measured frequency of each string by a capo scale factor, means for generating control signals in accordance with the scaled frequencies, and means for outputting said control signals to said actuators.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 45 words

The control system of claim 1 wherein said instrument has twelve frets per octave and wherein said capo scale factor is 2 - (n/12), where n is the number of the fret on which the capo is installed and n=0 if no capo is installed.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 25 words

The control system of claim 1 adapted for use with a capo sensor, coupled to said processor, wherein said capo sensor senses an installed capo.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 24 words

The control system of claim 1 wherein said processor detects an installed capo based on the measured string frequency of one of the strings.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 42 words

The control system of claim 4 wherein said processor determines on which fret, n, a capo is installed based on the relationship: f.sub.meas /f.sub.open =2.sup.(n/12), where f meas and f open are the measured and target open frequencies, respectively, of said string.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 22 words

The control system of claim 5 wherein said processor determines n based on the measured string frequencies of more than one string.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 23 words

The control system of claim 1 further including an operator interface coupled to said processor, for receiving operator input from an instrument operator.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 14 words

The control system of claim 7 wherein said operator input indicates an installed capo.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 19 words

The control system of claim 8 wherein said operator input further indicates on which fret said capo is installed.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 17 words

The control system of claim 8 wherein said processor determines on which fret said capo is installed.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 44 words

The control system of claim 10 wherein said processor determines on which fret, n, said capo is installed based on the relationship: f.sub.meas /f.sub.open =2.sup.(n/12), where f meas and f open are the measured and target open frequencies, respectively, of one of the strings.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 21 words

The control system of claim 7 wherein said operator interface further comprises means for displaying instrument conditions to said instrument operator.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 17 words

The control system of claim 1 wherein said means for generating control signals comprises a calibration function.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 26 words

The control system of claim 13 wherein said calibration function relates the actuator position for a given string to the target open frequency of said string.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 37 words

The control system of claim 14 wherein said calibration function relates the actuator position for a given string to the target open frequency to the first power and to the target open frequency squared of said string.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 30 words

The control system of claim 14 wherein said calibration function relates the actuator position for a given string to the target open frequencies of each of said plurality of strings.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 41 words

The control system of claim 16 wherein said calibration function relates the actuator position for a given string to the target open frequencies to the first power and to the target open frequencies squared of each of said plurality of strings.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 22 words

The control system of claim 14 wherein said means for generating control signals further includes modifying means for modifying said calibration function.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 21 words

The control system of claim 18 wherein said calibration function is modified by adding a constant term to said calibration function.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 34 words

The control system of claim 18 wherein said calibration function is modified by a function of the difference between the scaled frequency of a given string and the target open frequency of said string.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 44 words

The control system of claim 18 wherein said calibration function is modified by a function of the difference between the actuator position computed for the target open frequency of a given string and the actuator position computed for the scaled frequency of said string.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 15 words

The control system of claim 21 wherein said difference is subtracted from said calibration function.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 35 words

The control system of claim 18 wherein said modifying means comprises a closed-loop system for adjusting the actuator position of a given string until the scaled frequency is approximately equal to said target open frequency.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 28 words

The control system of claim 23 wherein said calibration function is modified by a function of the difference between the new actuator positions and the previous actuator positions.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 15 words

The control system of claim 18 further including means for storing the modified calibration function.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 17 words

The control system of claim 13 wherein said processor further comprises means for generating said calibration function.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 57 words

The control system of claim 26 wherein said means for generating a calibration function comprises means for acquiring f k and x k , the measured frequency and actuator positions, respectively, for a given string at a plurality, k, of actuator positions, and means for generating therefrom a function relating x to f for said given string.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 64 words

The control system of claim 26 wherein said means for generating a calibration function comprises means for acquiring f jk and x jk the measured frequency and actuator positions, respectively, for j strings, each string at a plurality, k, of actuator positions, and means for generating therefrom a function relating x j for a given actuator j to f j for all j strings.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 24 words

The control system of claim 13 wherein said calibration function can be used to calculate target actuator positions for a plurality of tuning configurations.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 17 words

The control system of claim 1 wherein said means for generating control signals comprises a closed-loop system.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 47 words

The control system of claim 30 wherein said closed-loop system takes the difference between the scaled frequency of a given string and the target open frequency of said string and generates an error signal therefrom, and wherein said control signal is a function of said error signal.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 116 words

An automatically tuned fretted stringed instrument adapted for use with a capo installed on one fret, comprising: a plurality of strings; a plurality of actuators, one of said actuators connected to each of said strings; a transducer coupled to said strings; and a processor coupled to said transducer and to said actuators, said processor including means for receiving a transducer signal from said transducer, means for obtaining the measured frequency of each of said plurality of strings from said transducer signal, means for scaling said measured frequency of each string by a capo scale factor, means for generating control signals in accordance with the scaled frequencies, and means for outputting said control signals to said actuators.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 116 words

An automatically tuned fretted stringed instrument adapted for use with a capo installed on one fret, comprising: a plurality of strings; a plurality of actuators, one of said actuators connected to each of said strings; a transducer coupled to said strings; and a processor coupled to said transducer and to said actuators, said processor including means for receiving a transducer signal from said transducer, means for obtaining the measured frequency of each of said plurality of strings from said transducer signal, means for scaling said measured frequency of each string by a capo scale factor, means for generating control signals in accordance with the scaled frequencies, and means for outputting said control signals to said actuators.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 44 words

The instrument of claim 32 wherein said instrument has twelve frets per octave and wherein said capo scale factor is 2 - (n/12), where n is the number of the fret on which the capo is installed and n=0 if no capo is installed.

Claim 36

Dependent Claim 23 words

The instrument of claim 32 wherein said processor detects an installed capo based on the measured string frequency of one of the strings.

Claim 37

Dependent Claim 41 words

The instrument of claim 34 wherein said processor determines on which fret, n, a capo is installed based on the relationship: f.sub.meas /f.sub.open =2.sup.(n/12), where f meas and f open are the measured and target open frequencies, respectively, of said string.

Claim 38

Dependent Claim 23 words

The instrument of claim 32 further including a n operator interface coupled to said processor, for receiving operator input from an instrument operator.

Claim 39

Dependent Claim 13 words

The instrument of claim 36 wherein said operator input indicates an installed capo.

Claim 40

Dependent Claim 18 words

The instrument of claim 37 wherein said operator input further indicates on which fret said capo is installed.

Claim 41

Dependent Claim 16 words

The instrument of claim 37 wherein said processor determines on which fret said capo is installed.

Claim 42

Dependent Claim 43 words

The instrument of claim 39 wherein said processor determines on which fret, n, said capo is installed based on the relationship: f.sub.meas /f.sub.open =2.sup.(n/12), where f meas and f open are the measured and target open frequencies, respectively, of one of the strings.

Claim 43

Dependent Claim 16 words

The instrument of claim 32 wherein said means for generating control signals utilizes a calibration function.

Claim 44

Dependent Claim 29 words

The instrument of claim 41 wherein said calibration function relates the actuator position for a given string to the target open frequencies of each of said plurality of strings.

Claim 45

Dependent Claim 21 words

The instrument of claim 41 wherein said means for generating control signals further includes modifying means for modifying said calibration function.

Claim 46

Dependent Claim 20 words

The instrument of claim 43 wherein said calibration function is modified by adding a constant term to said calibration function.

Claim 47

Dependent Claim 33 words

The instrument of claim 43 wherein said calibration function is modified by a function of the difference between the scaled frequency of a given string and the target open frequency of said string.

Claim 48

Dependent Claim 43 words

The instrument of claim 43 wherein said calibration function is modified by a function of the difference between the actuator position computed for the target open frequency of a given string and the actuator position computed for the scaled frequency of said string.

Claim 49

Dependent Claim 14 words

The instrument of claim 43 further including means for storing the modified calibration function.

Claim 50

Dependent Claim 16 words

The instrument of claim 41 wherein said processor further comprises means for generating said calibration function.

Claim 51

Dependent Claim 23 words

The instrument of claim 41 wherein said calibration function can be used to calculate target actuator positions for a plurality of tuning configurations.

Claim 52

Independent Claim 105 words

A method for tuning a fretted stringed instrument having an installed capo, said instrument having a plurality of strings, each string having an actuator connected thereto, said instrument further having a transducer coupled to said strings and a processor coupled to said transducer and to said actuators, said method comprising the steps of: installing a capo on one fret; strumming said strings; measuring the frequency of each of said plurality of strings from a transducer signal; scaling the measured frequency of each string by a capo scale factor; generating control signals in accordance with the scaled frequencies; and outputting said control signals to said actuators.

Claim 53

Independent Claim 105 words

A method for tuning a fretted stringed instrument having an installed capo, said instrument having a plurality of strings, each string having an actuator connected thereto, said instrument further having a transducer coupled to said strings and a processor coupled to said transducer and to said actuators, said method comprising the steps of: installing a capo on one fret; strumming said strings; measuring the frequency of each of said plurality of strings from a transducer signal; scaling the measured frequency of each string by a capo scale factor; generating control signals in accordance with the scaled frequencies; and outputting said control signals to said actuators.

Claim 54

Dependent Claim 37 words

The method of claim 50 wherein said instrument has twelve frets per octave and wherein said capo scale factor is 2 - (n/12), where n is the number of the fret on which the capo is installed.

Claim 55

Dependent Claim 27 words

The method of claim 50 further comprising the step of determining on which fret said capo is installed from the measured frequency of one of the strings.

Claim 56

Dependent Claim 94 words

The method of claim 50 wherein said step of generating control signals comprises the steps of: providing a calibration function relating the actuator position for a given string to the target open frequencies of each of said plurality of strings; inserting said scaled frequencies into said calibration function to compute new actuator positions; computing the difference between said new actuator positions and the previous actuator positions, said previous actuator positions computed by inserting said target open frequencies into said calibration function; and modifying said calibration function by adding said difference to said calibration function.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2002-01-11	2002-07-13	2003-01-12	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2006-01-11	2006-07-13	2007-01-12	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2010-01-11	2010-07-13	2011-01-12	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Musical instrument self-tuning system with capo mode

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