Patents Examined by David S. Warren
  • Patent number: 8586847
    Abstract: Methods, computing devices, and machine readable storage media for generating a fingerprint of a music sample. The music sample may be filtered into a plurality of frequency bands. Onsets in each of the frequency bands may be independently detected. Inter-onset intervals between pairs of onsets within the same frequency band may be determined. At least one code associated with each onset may be generated, each code comprising a frequency band identifier identifying a frequency band in which the associated onset occurred and one or more inter-onset intervals. Each code may be associated with a timestamp indicating when the associated onset occurred within the music sample. All generated codes and the associated timestamps may be combined to form the fingerprint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: The Echo Nest Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel Ellis, Brian Whitman
  • Patent number: 8586848
    Abstract: A musical score extracting unit specifies areas of each of measures and the measure number of each measure on a musical score based on positions of musical-score composing elements such as part lines, staffs and bar lines. A music-data dividing unit divides music-data file based on time information in the music-data file to generate plural unit music-data files containing pitch information and time information for one measure. The music-data dividing unit specifies measures where repeat marks are placed based on sorts and positions of the repeat marks and positions of the part lines, staffs and bar lines on the musical score, thereby removing unit music-data file to repeat as instructed by the repeat marks from the plural music-data files to obtain a final unit music-data files associated with the respective measure numbers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Sasaki
  • Patent number: 8581084
    Abstract: The embodiments herein provide a beat counter device for sampling a plurality of voice samples by differentiating tempos from each other in a selected rhythm. The beat counter device comprises a seven segment indicator, a display unit, at least one directional key, an adjustment wheel, a volume button, an ON/OFF button, a microphone, a microphone port and a head phone port. The pressing operation of the ON/OFF button results in the microphone to perform a sampling of voices samples by separating a tempo from another tempo associated with a selected rhythm. The seven-segment indicator counts the number of tempos in the selected rhythm in each multi-measure time signature. The sampled voices are outputted through the headphone port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Inventor: Iman Pouyania
  • Patent number: 8569608
    Abstract: A harp comprising a body, a set of strings attached to the body, an optical pickup to generate an analog signal produced by the vibration of a string within the set of strings, at least one circuit board to convert the analog signals to a corresponding digital signal, wherein the digital signal is then processed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Inventor: Michael Moon
  • Patent number: 8563842
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for separating and extracting main sound sources from a mixed musical sound signal are provided. A musical sound source separation apparatus may include an prior information signal compressor to compress an prior information signal including a characteristic of a predetermined sound source, a mixed signal divider to divide a mixed signal including a plurality of sound sources into a plurality of segments, a Nonnegative Matrix Partial Co-Factorization (NMPCF) analyzer to acquire common information shared by the plurality of segments, by applying an NMPCF algorithm to the prior information signal, and a target musical instrument signal separator to separate a target musical instrument signal corresponding to the predetermined sound source from the mixed signal, based on the common information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignees: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Postech Academy-Industry Foundation
    Inventors: Min Je Kim, In Seon Jang, Kyeong Ok Kang, Seung Jin Choi, Ji Ho Yoo, Jin Woong Kim
  • Patent number: 8563843
    Abstract: An electronic percussion device including a drum shell, a drumhead as striking surface, vibration sensors, with a peripheral and a central vibration carrier. The vibration carriers abut against the drumhead to convey vibrations therefrom to the sensor(s). The central vibration carrier is a helicoidal spring. The peripheral vibration carrier is a rigid body of solid material supported by peripheral sensors disposed thereunder. The two electrical leads of each one of the peripheral sensors are correspondingly coupled in parallel to produce only two common output leads. An electronic sound module is configured to sample the sensors and employs software procedures to detect percussion strokes delivered on the drumhead, and to generate sounds accordingly. The software procedures use the averaged and aggregated signals to provide accurate detection of position and intensity of a drum stroke. Alternative embodiments of the device use only a peripheral vibration carrier or only a central vibration carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Inventor: Guy Shemesh
  • Patent number: 8546676
    Abstract: A pedal device for an electronic percussion instrument, including: a base; a foot board supported at its first end portion to the base and configured to pivot by depression; an arm rotatably supported at its first end at a pivot point located near to a second end portion of the foot board, the arm being pivotable about the pivot point; a mass portion provided near to a second end of the arm; a regulating portion for regulating a locus of displacement of the mass portion when the foot board is moved from a depression start position to a depression end position; and a stopper portion provided on the base for defining the depression end position by contacting the mass portion in a forward stroke of depression, the regulating portion regulating the locus of the displacement of the mass portion so as not to contain a downward component in the forward stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Ryuji Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 8546670
    Abstract: A tremolo device for static retention of a plurality of musical instrument strings in a stringed instrument. The tremolo device has a body with an upper surface, a neck portion, and a plurality of strings anchored at a first end of the neck and extending over at least a portion and secured to the tremolo device at the other end of the neck portion and the body and possesses an inertia block mechanism with substantially solid construction disposed to receive and securely retain a plurality of raw instrument strings without removal of a ball end from each string. The inertia block has an upper portion, a lower portion, and a plurality of internal, longitudinally displaced, cylindrically shaped, string retaining chambers designed to pass through an entirety of the block mechanism. The string retaining chambers have an upper and lower portion corresponding with the upper and lower portions of the block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Inventor: Scott Finkle
  • Patent number: 8542133
    Abstract: Various embodiments provide keyboards that utilize electrically-deformable material as an actuating mechanism to provide haptic feedback to a user of the keyboard. In at least some embodiments, the electrically-deformable material is utilized to impart, to a depressed key or keyboard element, a multi-vectored movement that produces a perceived acceleration of the key or keyboard element thus providing a user with haptic feedback which simulates a snapover movement. In at least some embodiments, a light source can be mounted or otherwise positioned relatively close to and beneath the top surface of one or more keys or keyboard elements to backlight a portion or portions of a keyboard.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
    Inventors: Cody George Peterson, Andrew Parris Huska, James William Schlosser
  • Patent number: 8542134
    Abstract: Various embodiments provide a keyboard that adaptively provides haptic feedback to a user. In at least some embodiments, an actuation of a key or keyboard element of the keyboard is detected. This can be accomplished by detecting the closure of an associated switch caused by a user depressing the key or keyboard element. In response to detecting the actuation, an electrically-deformable material is utilized as an actuating mechanism to impart single or multi-vectored movement to the key or keyboard element according to drive parameters. This movement produces a perceived acceleration of the key or keyboard element, thus providing haptic feedback which simulates a “snapover” effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
    Inventors: Cody George Peterson, Andrew Parris Huska, James William Schlosser
  • Patent number: 8536436
    Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods for providing music based cognitive skills development. More particularly the present invention may provide a music based cognitive skills development platform. The platform is provided using computer implemented systems and methods for training a human subject so as to enhance his/her intelligence, attention, language skills and brain functioning. The present invention provides these benefits using exercises, one or more of which are based on musical training aspects, however, in addition to musical training other cognitive skills development exercises may be used, as described herein. The invention may be utilized by users of varying musical skills and may be presented at a level corresponding to the prior musical training (if any) of a user, and in a form corresponding to the cognitive capacity, interests and attention span of a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Inventor: Sylvain Jean-Pierre Daniel Moreno
  • Patent number: 8530736
    Abstract: A musical tone signal is synthesized based on performance information to simulate a sound generated from a musical instrument having a string and a body that supports the string by a support. There is provided a closed loop circuit having a delay element that simulates delay characteristic of vibration propagated through the string and a characteristic control element that simulates a variation in amplitude or frequency. A string model calculation circuit inputs an excitation signal based on the performance information to the closed loop circuit, and calculates first information representing a force of the string acting on the support based on a cyclic signal generated in the closed loop and representing the vibration of the string circuit. A body model calculation circuit calculates second information representing a displacement of the body or a derivative of the displacement. A musical tone signal calculation circuit calculates the musical tone signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Encai Liu, Masatsugu Okazaki, Eiji Tominaga
  • Patent number: 8525007
    Abstract: To provide an action of an upright piano which permits playing of repeated notes on the single key and touch of the keys that are comparable to a grand piano. A first spring (59) is provided to a pushing-up portion (20) of a jack (18), a first spring rest (71) is provided to a jack stop rail (53), and when a jack tail (19) moves away from a regulating button (47), the first spring (59) bent between the pushing-up portion (20) and the first spring rest (71) forces the pushing-up portion (20) to be pushed under a pushed-up portion (27) to be thrust up of a hammer butt (25). A second spring (66) is provided to a damper stop rail (56), a second spring rest (72) is provided to a hammer shank (33), and the second spring (66) bent between the damper stop rail (56) and the second spring rest (72) stops the rotational movement of a hammer (32) before the hammer (32) that moves rotationally by the force of the first spring (59) strikes a string (90).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Yugen Kaisha Fujii Piano Service
    Inventor: Yukimitsu Fujii
  • Patent number: 8525015
    Abstract: A DC battery powered sound effect pedal housing with sound effect circuitry mounted therein and a battery terminal connector for being connected to battery terminals for powering the circuitry, a base and an adapter frame removably mounted intermediate the housing and the base with the adapter having said frame and an adapter power cord mounted to frame for transmitting DC power to the battery terminal connector whereby a conventional DC battery power sound effect pedal is converted to one being powered from an online AC power source without physically changing the base and housing. A convention power cord is used be powered from an AC power source to provide a DC power output that is plugged into the jack of the adapter power cord.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Inventor: Timothy D. Armstrong
  • Patent number: 8525012
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for mixing song data based on measure groupings. A player or program may recognize measure groupings in a song through identifying cuepoints. The player or program may use the cuepoints and/or other identifiers of measure groupings to generate a transition between the song and other songs. Parts of one or both songs may be time-stretched, or frames may be added or deleted, such that the beats in both songs are substantially aligned during the transition. The system and method may also involve altering the sequence of frames in one or both of the songs, so that the transition may have various sonic qualities as desired by a user. A choice of transition modes may be provided via a user interface that allow the user some control over when and how transitions between songs are executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Mixwolf LLC
    Inventor: Michael Yang
  • Patent number: 8520871
    Abstract: A device for processing parameters representing Head-Related Transfer Functions includes an input stage configured to receive audio signals of sound sources, a determinor configured to receive reference parameters representing Head-Related Transfer Functions and configured to determine, from the audio signals, position information representing positions and/or directions of the sound sources. A processor is configured to process the audio signals; and an influencer is configured to influence the processing of the audio signals based on the position information yielding an influenced output audio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Jeroen Dirk Breebaart, Michel Machiel Willem Van Loon
  • Patent number: 8519252
    Abstract: An optoelectronic pickup for a musical instrument includes at least one light source which directs light to impinge a sound generating element of the musical instrument in at least one photoreceiver located to detect the reflected light, so as to generate an electrical signal that is responsive to sound generating element movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Inventor: Waleed Haddad
  • Patent number: 8513512
    Abstract: A personal music mixing system with an embodiment providing beats and vocals configured using a web browser and musical compositions generated from said beats and vocals. Said embodiment provides a plurality of beats and vocals that a user may suitably mix to create a new musical composition and make such composition available for future playback by the user or by others. In some embodiments, the user advantageously may hear a sample musical composition having beats and vocals with particular user-configured parameter settings and may adjust said settings until the user deems the musical composition complete.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Funk Machine Inc.
    Inventors: Louis S. Willacy, Randy Locklair
  • Patent number: 8507782
    Abstract: An electronic percussion instrument generates, in accordance with a trigger signal output from a pad source, a musical performance tone of a tone color assigned to the pad source. The electronic percussion instrument includes a program memory for storing a control program and a CPU for controlling operation of the electronic percussion instrument in accordance with the control program stored in the program memory. A storage device is also provided for storing a plurality of trigger data sets each of which includes at least one sensitivity setting parameter for setting sensitivity to the trigger signal, and a plurality of drum kits each of which includes pad setting data for setting the tone color assigned to the at least one pad source and link data for designating one of the plurality of trigger data sets. A setting operation input unit is provided for selecting a drum kit from among the plurality of drum kits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Hideaki Takehisa, Yasuharu Katagiri, Mikihiro Hiramatsu, Makoto Katsuura
  • Patent number: 8507781
    Abstract: A guitar delay engine such as a multi-tap delay pedal or other rhythm engine such as a vocal multi-tap delay pedal, a drum machine, or any other device that requires setting a rhythmic pattern (i.e. level and timing information) for operation is provided. In a guitar delay device, the guitarist can hold down a foot pedal, play a rhythmic pattern on their guitar, and then release the foot pedal and have the rhythmic pattern just played emulated in the delay pattern on the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Harman International Industries Canada Limited
    Inventors: Peter R. Lupini, Glen A. Rutledge, William Norman Campbell