Music inventions 01/07

20070017334 - Strings for musical instruments: An improved musical instrument string is provided. The string includes a polymer cover that protects the string, from contamination while maintaining the original “lively” sound of the musical string. By supplying the cover over a conventional string and preferable over a conventional wound string, the string is protected against contamination... Agent: David J. Johns W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.

20070017335 - Drum and drum assemblage: A drum has a sound reflector at the lower end of its shell for reflecting sound waves back toward the drumhead, thereby improving the quality and duration of the sound. The shell may be mounted from a base plate that provides an annular reflecting flange. Multiple drums, e.g., four, may... Agent: Wayne E. Nacker

20070017336 - Quick release mallet holder and rim protector: An easily removable unit that provides a means of holding the players mallets as well as affording a protective edge for the bass drum rim of a marching bass drum as used in marching bands and drum corps. The device is held in place by a rim claw on the... Agent: Neal Graham

20070017337 - Electronic keyboard instrument: Electronic keyboard instrument is provided with a leg section supporting thereon a keyboard in such a manner that the keyboard is located at a height falling within a range from 350 mm to 500 mm. Namely, the leg section supports thereon the keyboard at a suitable height that is substantially... Agent: Rossi, Kimms & Mcdowell LLP.

20070017338 - Keyboard apparatus: A keyboard apparatus in which the radius of turning motion of a mainly operated portion of each black key in a key depressing/releasing direction is maximized so as to enhance the operability of the black key for performance. The keyboard apparatus has a key frame formed with fixing parts. In... Agent: Morrison & Foerster, LLP

20070017339 - Keyboard apparatus: A keyboard apparatus having a construction which can maintain an excellent balance in touch feeling between white keys and black keys and can be made compact in size in the longitudinal direction. The driven part of each of mass bodies associated with respective white keys and the driven part of... Agent: Morrison & Foerster, LLP

20070017341 - Keyboard apparatus: A keyboard apparatus includes: keys composed of white keys and black keys supported pivotably on a key mounting part of a frame; mass members pivotably supported on a mass member mounting part and driven by mass member driving parts provided underside of the keys; and a mass member lower limit... Agent: Morrison & Foerster, LLP

20070017342 - Keyboard apparatus: Key frame has a key support section that pivotably supports thereon a plurality of keys. Hammer structures are pivotably provided in corresponding relation to and below the keys, each of which pivots in interlocked relation to depression operation of a corresponding one of the keys. On a rear portion of... Agent: Morrison & Foerster, LLP

20070017343 - Keyboard apparatus: A key unit having a white key unit and a black key unit in which main bodies of a plurality of white keys and black keys, respectively, are coupled to respective common key support parts via coupling parts pivotably in a key depression direction is mounted on a keyboard frame.... Agent: Morrison & Foerster, LLP

20070017340 - Keyboard apparatus and method of producing the keyboard apparatus: A keyboard apparatus having mass bodies that pivotally move in accordance with a key operation that facilitates key attachment operations. In a key unit, a plurality of keys having driving parts are integrally connected by a common base end part in a condition in which the keys are pivotally movable.... Agent: Morrison & Foerster, LLP

20070017344 - Electromagnetic musical instrument systems and related methods: An electromagnetic (EM) musical instrument system is provided. The system comprises an excitation signal generator configured to generate an excitation signal. An excitation signal applier, coupled to the excitation signal generator, receives the excitation signal and transmits it to an EM musical instrument. The instrument receives the excitation signal and... Agent: Cash Klemchuk Powers Taylor LLP

20070017345 - Electromagnetic musical instruments: An electromagnetic (EM) musical instrument is provided. The instrument comprises a body comprising a shape and having EM characteristics that differ from one or more EM characteristics of a free space adjacent to the instrument. A port is coupled to the body and configured to receive an excitation signal and... Agent: Cash Klemchuk Powers Taylor LLP

20070017346 - Tone generator control apparatus and program for electronic wind instrument: Flow velocity sensor and a length sensor are provided on or near an edge of the lip plate which the air jet from the embouchure hole impinges against. Jet flow velocity Ue at the edge and a jet-blowout-outlet-to-edge distance d are detected by the sensors. Jet transfer time τe is... Agent: Morrison & Foerster, LLP

20070017347 - Digital multimedia broadcasting receiver for preset recording and method thereof: Disclosed is a digital multimedia broadcasting receiver for preset recording and a method thereof. The method for preset-recording a song provided through a music channel by using present and follow (P/F) information in a digital multimedia broadcasting receiver includes measuring a time period elapsed from a first time point at... Agent: Dilworth & Barrese, LLP

20070017348 - Waveform data interpolation device and waveform data interpolation program: With a decimal-fraction address representing a position between two continuous sample values and input from a decimal-fraction address calculation block (5-2) assumed as x, a product-sum block (5-5) calculates the value of x(1−x) as the sum of exclusive logical sums by approximating the value of (1−x) with a value obtained... Agent: Frishauf, Holtz, Goodman & Chick, PC

20070017349 - Musical performance system, musical instrument incorporated therein and multi-purpose portable information terminal device for the system: A hybrid musical instrument and a PDA form a musical performance system, and a user controls the hybrid musical instrument by means of the PDA; when the user pairs the hybrid musical instrument with the PDA, the musical instrument converts an identification code to a machine-recognizable image such as an... Agent: Harness, Dickey & Pierce, P.L.C

20070017350 - Simple music performance system, music data supplier and computer program installed in the music data supplier: At least one musical instrument, a server computer, a mobile telephone and a communication network form a music performance system; the owner has registered the musical instrument with a client database in the server computer, and a user transmits a request for music data distribution service to the server computer... Agent: Harness, Dickey & Pierce, P.L.C

20070017351 - Musical absolute pitch recognition instruction system and method: The present system and method describes an ear training system and method designed to teach a subject the ability to recognize and perceive absolute pitch. The system and method present a melody word including a target pitch. The subject is then exposed to a query sound. The subject is then... Agent: Bell, Boyd & Lloyd, LLC

20070017352 - Tone control device and program for electronic wind instrument: A tone control device applied to an electronic wind instrument realizes an octave-changeover-blowing technique in which the same note is produced with different octaves respectively by use of the same fingering state, thus increasing controllable ranges with regard to the tone volume, tone color, and tone pitch. A plurality of... Agent: Morrison & Foerster, LLP

20070017353 - Electronic keyboard musical instrument: An electronic keyboard musical instrument capable of performing delicate sound board vibration control based on outputs generated individually for respective ones of transducers, thereby realizing production of natural sounds with sufficient volume, and an easy tone quality adjustment. A sound board is fixed to a frame, and the transducers are... Agent: Rossi, Kimms & Mcdowell LLP.

20070017354 - Key operation detection unit of an electronic keyboard instrument: A key operation detection unit of an electronic keyboard instrument that suppresses increase in reaction forces with key depression operation, to improve a key touch feeling. A depression operation of any one of keys of the keyboard instrument is detected by first and second corresponding detectors of the detection unit.... Agent: Morrison & Foerster, LLP

20070017355 - Electromagnetic musical pickup with hum rejecting shields: A new and improved electromagnetic pickup for a musical instrument having a plurality of ferromagnetic strings includes an elongated ferromagnetic core and an elongated, annular, electrically conductive pickup coil disposed in encompassing relation to the core to enable the pickup to generate a favorable signal-to-noise ratio and to generate signals... Agent: Romi N. Bose

20070017356 - Keyboard apparatus: A keyboard apparatus is including a plurality of keys and a plurality of mass members provided under the respective keys to be pivotably supported on a keyboard frame being a support member, each of the mass members extends along a longitudinal direction of the key and has a mass concentration... Agent: Morrison & Foerster, LLP

20070012153 - Keyboards and key structures thereof: Key structures are provided. A key structure comprises a substrate, a first rod, a second rod, and a key cover. The substrate comprises a first surface, a through hole, and a plurality of contact portions fixed to the first surface. Each of the contact portions has a contact surface partially... Agent: Quintero Law Office

20070012154 - Decorative case: A decorative case includes a box, a link, a gear transmission system, and a rotation disk. The rotation disk is rotated by operation of a motor, so that the ornament is rotated successively and automatically during a long period of time, thereby facilitating rotation of the ornament, and thereby saving... Agent: Nikolai & Mersereau, P.A.

20070012155 - Keystroke device of piano: A string-striking device for a piano, which can expand the adjustable range of the static loading applied to a fore-end on the playing side of a key. A first weight lever (31) which rotates in conformity with the motion of a key (21) is provided near an action portion (25)... Agent: Davis & Bujold, P.l.l.c.

20070012156 - Repetition lever of grand piano: There is provided a repetition lever for a grand piano, which is excellent in shape retainability and dimensional stability and is light in weight and high in rigidity, thereby enabling required operations to be stably performed and improving the capability of repeated key striking. A repetition lever 4 for a... Agent: Crowell & Moring LLP Intellectual Property Group

20070012157 - Peg winder with tuner: A peg winder for use with a stringed instrument in which each string is held in tension by a peg that can be turned by a person holding the instrument to change the tension and thereby tune the string to a target frequency or facilitate peg-winding as is required to... Agent: Alix Yale & Ristas LLP

20070012158 - String winding device for a stringed instrument: Disclosed is a string winding device for a stringed instrument in which the length of the winding shaft can be adjusted freely. The string winding device for a stringed instrument comprises a winding shaft 10 having a first insertion hole 11 inside; a fixed shaft 20, which is inserted into... Agent: Cantor Colburn, LLP

20070012159 - String instrument: A stringed musical instrument, such as a guitar, whereby the lower end of the strings are anchored to the soundboard itself with one or more of the string anchors being positioned past the bridge. This arrangement provides an offset of the lateral compressive forces to the entire soundboard, therefore allowing... Agent: Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti PC

20070012160 - Stand: A stand body of a snare drum stand includes legs, a lower pipe, an intermediate pipe, and an upper pipe. Each leg has an upper end pivotally connected to a leg support, which is attached to the lower end of the intermediate pipe. One end of a stay is pivotally... Agent: Ostrolenk Faber Gerb & Soffen

20070012161 - Stringed instrument that maintains relative tune: A stringed musical instrument includes a string mounting arrangement that enables multiple strings to be maintained in relative tune as the pitch of the strings is simultaneously varied. In one embodiment, a composite musical string comprises multiple segments, each segment having a different density, but the composite string will maintain... Agent: Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP

20070012162 - Musical keyboard instrument: A musical keyboard instrument which not only allows a music stand to be erected in a desired position in the transverse direction on a panel section, but also ensures easiness of viewing a written musical score of a music book even when the music stand is erected in the vicinity... Agent: Morrison & Foerster, LLP

20070012163 - Content acquisition apparatus, content acquisition method and content acquisition program: The present invention provides a music purchasing/transfer system allowing contents to be acquired in a remarkably efficient manner. In the system, a content acquisition apparatus, and method and program thereof are provided. The apparatus includes a content storage section used for storing contents; an output section for outputting the identification... Agent: Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP

20070012164 - Browser-based music rendering methods: Blocks of music and related annotations referred to herein as atomic music segments are visually and sonically rendered within a browser window as directed by a set of interface controls thus providing the ability to directly control various performance parameters while also communicating the intentions of the composer, arranger, and... Agent: Utah Valley Patent Services, LLC

20070012165 - Method and apparatus for outputting audio data and musical score image: A method and apparatus for outputting audio data and a musical score image, displaying a musical score image corresponding to reproduced audio data, and outputting audio data corresponding to a musical score image are provided, in which a tone is extracted, the tone is converted into a frequency, a monotone... Agent: Roylance, Abrams, Berdo & Goodman, L.L.P.

20070012167 - Apparatus, method, and medium for producing motion-generated sound: An apparatus, method, and medium for producing motion-generated sound is disclosed, in which a sound that corresponds to a specified direction is output when a motion detected by a motion sensor is a motion in the specified direction. The apparatus includes a motion input unit receiving an input motion, a... Agent: Staas & Halsey LLP

20070012166 - Removable speaker arrangement: An exemplary embodiment of the invention includes removable speaker arrangements. A speaker structure is pivotally mounted with a first base such that the speaker structure pivots around an axis of rotation, and the first base configured to slidingly receive the speaker structure. A first plurality of electronic contacts are in... Agent: Hewlett Packard Company

20070006708 - Gaming device which dynamically modifies background music based on play session events: A gaming device having a sound generating device operable to produce a background sound. The gaming device tracks play session events and determines when the tracked events meet a designated characteristic or parameter. The gaming device modifies the background sound based on whether designated tracked events occur.... Agent: Bell, Boyd & Lloyd LLC

20070006709 - Damper lever for upright piano: A damper for an upright piano is provided for improving sound stopping capabilities and consequently improving sequential touching capabilities without adversely affecting a key touch feeling. The damper lever for an upright piano is pressed against a vibrating string to stop the vibration in response to a released key, in... Agent: Crowell & Moring LLP Intellectual Property Group

20070006710 - Guitar: The present invention relates to a guitar comprising a resonant cavity, a fretboard, a headstock and a neck, of which the fretboard is provided between the resonant cavity and the headstock, the neck is fixed at one side of the resonant cavity, and the fretboard extends to the lower portion... Agent: Patterson, Thuente, Skaar & Christensen, P.A.

20070006711 - Ultimate banjo mute: This mute is simple in design and makes it easy for soft practice with warm tone.... Agent: Dave Spencer

20070006712 - Stringed instrument that maintains relative tune: A stringed musical instrument includes a string mounting arrangement that enables multiple strings to be maintained in relative tune as the pitch of the strings is simultaneously varied. In one embodiment, a composite musical string comprises multiple segments, each segment having a different density, but the composite string will maintain... Agent: Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP

20070006713 - Guitar pick package: A guitar pick package comprises a single sheet of paper cardboard that is specially die-cut and folded to form a combination CD retaining pocket and guitar-pick retaining pocket album. Three major sections with three connecting folds provide a retaining pocket for a CD, a connection, and an album page with... Agent: Robert Charles Hill

20070006714 - Outlet cover for a wind instrument: An outlet cover has a felt pad, a paper pad, a coat, an echo cap and a fastener. The paper pad is attached to the felt pad. The coat is mounted on and encloses the felt pad and the paper pad. The echo cap is attached to an outside of... Agent: Rosenberg, Klein & Lee

20070006715 - Pedal device for drum: A pedal device for a drum includes a base plate, a pedal, a chain, a pivot shaft, a beater, and an extension coil spring. When the pedal is freed from a depressed state, the urging force of the extension coil spring returns the beater from an operation position to a... Agent: Ostrolenk Faber Gerb & Soffen

20070006716 - On-board electric guitar tuner: A guitar tuner imbedded into an electric guitar, with the display hidden underneath a control knob. The display, a clear plastic cylinder containing a single character LCD and a tri-color LED, is revealed, and the activated, when said knob is pulled outwards from the guitar.... Agent: Ryan Salmond

20070006717 - Apparatus and method for providing music file search function: An apparatus and a method for providing music file search function. The apparatus includes an input unit that receives an input of an attribute of a music file to be played, an extract unit that extracts a characteristic segment from the music file according to the input attribute, a 3D-sound... Agent: Staas & Halsey LLP

20070006718 - Amplification of acoustic guitars: A device for mixing the outputs of two sensors. The device includes a first input for receiving a signal from at least one first sensor, a second input for receiving a signal from at least one second sensor, a low pass filter for passing signal components of the first input... Agent: Patterson, Thuente, Skaar & Christensen, P.A.

20070000369 - Tuning device for musical instruments and computer program used therein: A portable tuning device includes a microphone, a data processing system and a touch-panel liquid crystal display device, and assists a user in a tuning work on an upright piano; when the user depresses a key, sound waves, which expresses a tone, are propagated to the microphone, and are converted... Agent: Harness, Dickey & Pierce, P.L.C

20070000370 - Stringed instrument: A stringed instrument, such as a guitar, includes an ergonomically configured body with a fret board extending therefrom. The body is configured with a S or Z-shaped cross-sectional ration transverse to the fret board to provide support for the arm of the instrumentalist as strings are fingered against the fret... Agent: Banner & Witcoff, Ltd.

20070000371 - Tone synthesis apparatus and method: Dynamics values are acquired intermittently at predetermined time intervals, and waveform data corresponding to the acquired dynamics values are acquired. The thus-acquired waveform data are synthesized to generate a tone waveform of a range corresponding to a sustain portion of a tone. Because waveform data to be used are acquired,... Agent: Morrison & Foerster, LLP

20070000372 - System and method for providing a waveform for stimulating biological tissue: An implantable programmable stimulator system includes memory that stores waveform data for at least one waveform. A playback system provides at least one output waveform based on the waveform data.... Agent: Tarolli, Sundheim, Covell & Tummino L.L.P.

20070000373 - Method of conveying musical information: A method of conveying musical information is described. The method includes the steps of assigning sequential alphabetic and numeric designations as a system of reference to the physical location of individual piano keys on a piano keyboard, the physical location corresponding to the location of the structural form of tonal... Agent: Dewitt Ross & Stevens S.c.

20070000374 - Free-space human interface for interactive music, full-body musical instrument, and immersive media controller: Method and apparatus entraining interactive media players into a sustained experience of “Kinesthetic Spatial Sync,” defined as a perceived simultaneity and spatial superposition between a non-tactile, full body (“free-space”) input control process and immersive multisensory feedback. Asynchronous player input actions and (MIDI tempo) clock-synchronous media feedback events exhibit a seamless... Agent: Starkweather & Associates

20070000375 - Guitar docking station: Disclosed is a guitar effects controller comprising a digital compass and means for converting directional degree information to signal effect level values. Alternate embodiments provide different sensors, e.g., GPS receiver or tilt sensor. The invention allows user control of instrument volume or other signal effects by turning, tilting, or otherwise... Agent: Shelton E. Harrison, Jr.