Music – Accessories – Tuning devices
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-18
2001-02-06
Donels, Jeffrey (Department: 2837)
Music
Accessories
Tuning devices
C084S723000, C084S724000, C084S725000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06184452
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to the tuning of musical instruments.
The tuning of musical instruments, prior to rehearsal or performance, is essential but also tedious and time consuming. Most tuning is done using the human ear as a means of determining whether the sounded note is correct or if it needs to be adjusted up or down in pitch. This process has the disadvantage of requiring subjective rather than an objective decision.
To overcome this problem, a number of portable instruments have been devised, which provide a visual indication to the user of the instrument of the sounded note's pitch, enabling the user to see if this note agrees with a predetermined pitch or if adjustment is necessary and in which direction. However, the user must still make the necessary manual tuning adjustments.
Such manual tuning is often difficult and time consuming. During a performance or group rehearsal, when many instruments may be tuned simultaneously and there may be considerable extraneous noise, the problem is exacerbated.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,196,652 describes a Digital Electronic Tuner which primarily indicates whether or not a note is in tune, by means of a sequence of light emitting diodes. The specification suggests that in one embodiment of the invention “a stepping motor could be used to automatically tune an instrument” but no description is given of how such a motor might be connected to an instrument, except via a “tuning wrench” or “tuning hammer”, which suggests the tuning of instruments such as pianos. The disclosure concentrates primarily on digital processing, decision making and indicating means.
FR 2 196 102 describes an automatic tuning system for a guitar. The system is designed to be fitted in an acoustic guitar (FIG.
3
), but little practical guidance is given as to how this might be done. The system uses analogue filters and motors with multiple shunt-wound field windings to determine the control required and to adjust the tension in the strings. A miniature microphone is used as the transducer for turning the acoustic sound into an electrical signal.
Other patents that disclose allegedly automatic means for tuning stringed instruments include U.S. Pat. No. 4,803,908, which is arranged to tune all strings simultaneously; U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,126, which incorporates a pivotable tune lever arm means, U.S. Pat. No. 4,584,923, which has a plurality of motor means for the plurality of strings, and a particular mechanical linkage; U.S. Pat. No. 5,390,579, which is concerned with a particular mechanical arrangement for adjusting tension of the string, and preferably includes a tremolo arm; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,343,793, which discloses a means for automatically and continuously tuning an instrument, and detects whether or not a string is in contact with a fret.
A common feature of all of these prior patent publications is that none of them contemplates positive excitation of the string, in the tuning process. All of them rely upon the player playing the respective string or strings to be tuned. In this way, none of these prior systems can be truly automatic, all require the participation of the instrument player.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,660 discloses a piano tuning system. A clamp-on probe clamps on to adjacent strings of a piano and resonates a chosen string by means of a feedback loop at a frequency which is electronically compared to an accurate reference frequency. An associated electronic circuit controls an electric motor driven mechanism which is engaged with the respective existing tuning pin of the piano (just one pin at a time), to adjust the string tension the correct frequency is achieved. A feature of this system is that it is fitted only as an extraneous temporary accessory for a piano, during the operation of which the piano is not playable. The use of the clamp-on probe renders certain strings unplayable, whilst the probe is fitted.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automatic tuning system for a stringed musical instrument having a plurality of strings, the system comprising:
a. electrically driven resonating means arranged to resonate a string at its fundamental frequency, with an air gap between the resonating means and the string;
b. resonating control means arranged to drive the resonating means;
c. detecting means arranged to detect the mechanical vibration of the string and to convert said vibration into a corresponding electrical signal;
d. comparing means arranged to compare the frequency of said electrical signal with a predetermined frequency and to output a comparison signal;
e. adjusting means arranged to adjust the tension in the string; and
f. closed loop tuning control means arranged to receive said comparison signal and automatically control operation of said adjusting means until said comparison signal indicates that the frequency of said electrical signal is substantially equal to said predetermined frequency:
wherein:
g. the tuning system is adapted to be installed in the instrument as a permanent fixture such that:
i. said electrically driven resonating means is mounted as a permanent fixture in or on the body of the instrument such that it may resonate all of the strings of the instrument;
ii. said detecting means is mounted as a permanent fixture in or on the body of the instrument such that it may detect the mechanical vibration of all of the strings of the instrument;
iii. said adjusting means is mounted as a permanent fixture in or on the body of the instrument such that it may adjust the tension of all of the strings of the instrument;
iv. after installation, the tuning system maintains the tension of all of the strings of the instrument during normal playing, via said adjusting means, and requires no assembly or disassembly to or from the instrument, in order to carry out tuning; and
v. the tuning system makes no contact with the strings of the instrument, both during normal playing of the instrument and during tuning, other than via said adjusting means.
Preferably, said resonating control means comprises electronic filter means arranged to progressively increase the permissible frequency of oscillation of a respective string until resonance occurs.
Preferably, said resonating control means comprises low-pass filter means for preventing resonance of a respective string at a harmonic above its fundamental frequency, once resonance has been established.
Preferably, said resonating control means is a closed loop control means utilising said resonating means and said detecting means, and arranged automatically to both initiate vibration of the string and maintain resonance of the string as said adjusting means is adjusted.
Preferably, said resonating control means comprises phase control means for maintaining substantially 0 degrees of overall phase in an oscillating loop which includes a respective string, to maintain resonance of the string as said adjusting means is adjusted.
Preferably, said comparing means is arranged to compare said frequencies by measuring the time period of said electrical signal and comparing it with the time period of said predetermined frequency.
Preferably, said resonating means comprises an electromagnetic transducer.
Preferably, said resonating means comprises a respective electromagnetic transducer element for each string to be tuned.
Preferably, said detecting means comprises an electromagnetic transducer.
Preferably, said detecting means comprises a respective electromagnetic transducer element for each string to be tuned.
An automatic tuning system as above may further comprise a noise detecting means for detecting noise in the vicinity of said detecting means, including noise from said resonating means, and combining means for so combining signals from said first-mentioned detecting means and said noise detecting means as to wholly or partially cancel noise common to both said first-mentioned detecting means and said noise detecting means.
Preferably, said noise detecting means comprises a pick-up coil mounted adjacent said first-mentioned detecting means.
Preferably, sa
Cole Graham George
Ensor Jonathan Edward
Long Peter Graham
Osborne Paul Stephen
Donels Jeffrey
Lee, Mann, Smith, McWilliams, Sweeney & Qhlson
Lockett Kim
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