Method and apparatus for optically determining note characteristics from hammer catchers in a keyboard operated musical instrument
US5834669A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 10, 1996 |
| Grant date | Nov 10, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 10, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S84/07
- WIPO fieldOther consumer goods
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
A method and apparatus for accurately sensing key motion in a keyboard operated musical instrument, in which optical emitters and sensors are positioned above the hammer catchers. The optical emitters and sensors are arranged on a plurality of individually addressable sensor boards, and the sensor boards are divided into a plurality of individually addressable sensor banks. Each sensor board is independently and sequentially activated by a controller according to a specified timing sequence. As the controller activates a sensor board in one bank, allowing the board to warm up, another sensor board in the second bank, which has previously been activated and warmed up, is read and analyzed by the controller. Activation and reading of sensor boards alternates between sensor banks as the sensor boards are sequenced through. This overlapping of sensor board activation and reading, which is made possible by the preferred arrangement of the dual sensor banks as well as the data acquisition method employed, provides for a higher throughput of data conversion than has been heretofore achieved, and thus more efficient sensing and recording of musical expression information from keyboard inst…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.