Music – Instruments – Electrical musical tone generation
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-09
2001-11-13
Witkowski, Stanley J. (Department: 2837)
Music
Instruments
Electrical musical tone generation
C084S728000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06316713
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a sound pickup switching apparatus for a string instrument, in particular an electric guitar. The invention furthermore relates to a method for adjusting a sound pickup switching apparatus for string instruments,. The invention still furthermore relates to a string instrument having a sound pickup.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Sound pickups for string instruments, in particular for electric guitars, normally have either one coil or else a so-called double coil which has two electrically separate coils arranged on the sound pick-up. Such a double coil is also called a “humbucker pickup”. In electric guitars, a plurality of sound pickups are normally arranged spaced apart in the direction in which the strings run. The best known arrangements are the so-called “GIBSON tonality”, which comprises two sound pickups with a double coil, and the so-called “FENDER tonality”, which comprises three sound pickups, each having one coil. In addition, other arrangement variations of sound pickups are known, for example an arrangement in which a further sound pickup with one coil is arranged between two sound pickups each having a double coil and detects the oscillations of the strings.
WO-92/13335 discloses a sound pickup switching apparatus for an electric guitar, which allows the individual coils of a plurality of sound pickups to be connected in various combinations in order to play the electric guitar with different tonality. This known sound pickup switching apparatus has the disadvantage that both the number of the sound pickups which can be connected and their combination options are very limited.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to improve the range of selections and the operability of the sound pickup switching apparatus and of the string instrument.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a string instrument having more versatile capabilities.
The object is achieved in particular by a sound pickup switching apparatus which comprises an operable switching apparatus which is intended to connect the coils of the sound pickups in different combinations in order to produce an output signal of different tonality. The switching apparatus additionally comprises a voice signal production apparatus which, depending on the respective state of the switching apparatus, produces a voice signal designating the state.
The object is furthermore achieved in particular by a string instrument, such as a guitar for example, which comprises means for detecting a state of the string instrument as well as a voice signal production apparatus. The voice signal production apparatus produces a voice signal which describes the detected state with the aid of voice. The voice signal is fed to an electroacoustic transducer such as a loudspeaker or a headset, so that the voice signal can be listened to by the person playing the instrument and, possibly, by the public as well.
The string instrument according to the invention has the advantage that its states can be described by the use of a voice signal, so that the person playing the instrument is informed in a simple and pleasant manner of the respective state of the string instrument. An electronic guitar may have a multiplicity of different states, for example the wiring of the coils, the charge state of the battery, the setting of the volume control, connected filters etc., whose respective state can be described by the voice output. If, for example, the battery is virtually discharged, then this state can be described by the “battery low” voice signal, and can be output via the loudspeaker.
The string instrument and the sound pickup switching apparatus always require a voice signal production apparatus. There are a wide range of options for the design of the other components, as a mechanical switch in one simple embodiment or comprising a microcomputer in a high-performance embodiment.
The switching apparatus may be designed as a mechanical switch which has a plurality of permanently preset combination options for the coils of the sound pickups. The switch is operated to select one of the permanent preset connections and the individual coils being connected to one another accordingly. The signal from the coils connected in such a manner are passed to a downstream electroacoustic transducer, in particular a loudspeaker. In addition, the selected switching state is passed to a voice production apparatus which produces a voice signal that describes the selected state in words. This voice signal is preferably passed to the loudspeaker mentioned above, it also being possible to output the voice signal via an additional electroacoustic transducer, for example via a headset or a built-in loud-speaker in the guitar.
In a refinement of the invention, the sound pickup switching apparatus has an electronic drive apparatus with switches which can be controlled selectively, it being possible to connect any coil to a switch. The switches are designed to be electromechanical, for example comprising an electromagnet and a make contact, or electronic, for example comprising only an FET transistor.
In a preferred embodiment, the drive apparatus is designed to be programmable and, in addition, has a plurality of memories, each of which can be used to store one connection combination of coils. During a programming process, one connection combination can be selected, for example, from a large number of possible coil connections and can be assigned to a memory, it being possible to activate the drive apparatus or the memory, for example, via a push-button switch arranged on the guitar. A guitar may have, for example, six push-button switches, it being possible to assign a connection combination in a freely programmable manner to each push-button switch. One advantage of the apparatus according to the invention is that the preferred connection combinations can be assigned as required to the push-button switches, and thus it is possible to switch over very quickly between connection combinations programmed in such a manner, by operation of the respective push-button switch.
A further advantage of the apparatus according to the invention is that a connection combination, in particular the current function of a push-button switch, can be interrogated in a simple manner by means of a voice output. A further advantage is that the voice output can be produced via the same loudspeaker that is also used to output the sound signal from the guitar.
In a preferred embodiment, the programming process is likewise output by a voice signal in which, for example, instructions for the required inputs or the stored settings are described and output via the loudspeaker during the programming process by means of appropriately selected words.
One advantage of the apparatus according to the invention is that the output of a voice signal considerably simplifies the operation of the sound pickup switching apparatus for a guitarist, since any state of the switching apparatus can be interrogated in a simple manner, and since the preferred combinations of coils, or the preferred tonalities, can be assigned to the push-button switches in a simple manner by a programming process.
One advantage of the sound pickup switching apparatus according to the invention is that the loudspeaker which is always required for an electric guitar can also be used for the output of the voice signal, so that no additional display apparatus, in particular no visual display, is required. The acoustic signal in addition has the advantage that the guitar can be programmed in widely different light conditions, even in darkness or with the eyes closed. Furthermore, the guitar can also be operated by people with visual impairments, such as the blind.
A further advantage is that programming is carried out in a very acceptable manner by setting a connection combination of coils in a first phase, the voice signal stating which programming step is currently being carried out or stating the connection combination,
Boxer Michael
Fürst Werner
Boxer & Fürst AG
Cohen & Pontani, Lieberman & Pavane
Witkowski Stanley J.
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