HK1031023A - Apparatus and method for providing interactive drum lessons - Google Patents

Description

Apparatus and method for providing interactive drumbeat tutorial

The present invention relates to electronic percussion instruments, and more particularly, to an electronic interactive tambourine and a method for teaching the basic rhythm and tempo of percussion instruments of different musical styles to young people.

Many prior art electronic music systems for educational applications rely on sophisticated computer hardware and software, such as the Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI), which provides instructional assistance to the user. Such systems are expensive to obtain and are also complex for use by most children. Sometimes, the user must invest a great deal of time and effort to learn the system itself. In general, these and other factors have prevented the widespread use of these systems, even though they have a wide range of performance.

U.S. patent No.5,739,457 issued to Devecka discloses an interactive electronic drum music system under coin operating conditions. The system comprises an electronic drum pad (pad) for a small drum, a rimmed cymbal (hi-hat cymbal), a striking cymbal (crashcymbal), a following cymbal (ride cymbal), four heavy tambours (four toms); bass drum foot-pedal strikers or pedals; a foot pedal or striker for controlling the switch of a rimmed cymbal; and additional foot pedals or beaters to which various additional sound effects may be added, such as "Wa-Wa" and the like. Each drum pad or pedal has one or more associated LEDs to visually prompt the user to strike the appropriate pad or pedal. The drum music system further includes a personal computer, a display screen, a CD ROM drive, and a speaker set. The system has a jazz tutorial mode, and the user can select music styles such as rock, dance/Rap, country music, heavy metals, and jazz. The system then explains verbatim how to play the selected style of music and encourages the user to try a "simple example". The system then sequentially illuminates the LEDs to indicate proper activation of the band cymbal, snare drum, bass drum, and the like. The system then demonstrates an appropriate beat by playing cymbal, snare drum, bass drum, etc. The system then plays the background music piece of the selected music style, demonstrating to the user how to keep up with the beats of the music. The user then exercises for a period of time. Feedback is provided at the end of the course. The system also has a "jam alone mode" in which the user can play the drums without instruction or prompting so that the user can verify the playing ability of what has been learned in the original course. However, the system of Devecka is complex and costly because of the large number of computer components required to manufacture it.

U.S. patent No.5,140,889 to Segan et al discloses an electronic percussion synthesizer assembly having a tripod-like drumhead support structure that minimizes the wetting of the drumhead. The legs of this tripod-like structure are configured as shock absorbers which attenuate shocks from the drumhead. The assembly also includes an electronic control unit responsive to user commands for controlling the different drum sounds produced by striking the drum pad and for playing different background rhythms as the user plays along the pad.

U.S. patent No.5,266,735 to Shaffer et al discloses a music training system for assisting an individual playing a stringed musical instrument by visually prompting a sequence of notes on the instrument. The system includes a controller having an input for receiving music data and a plurality of LEDs mounted on the instrument.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a simple, low-cost method of interactive drumbeat tutorials and interactive drums that are easily operated by children that avoids the disadvantages of the prior art.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an electronic drum kit having a plurality of pads or drums for playing digitally recorded drum sounds of various percussion instruments in response to forces transmitted to the pads.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an electronic drum kit that is capable of playing a plurality of background music styles and at least two different drum beat segments that are predetermined associated with each of the background music styles.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the interactive drum kit includes a storage device for storing data representing sounds of at least one background music style, sounds of at least one drumbeat beat segment, sounds of a plurality of percussion instruments. The drum kit further includes a plurality of drums for receiving a user-controlled percussion force, each of the plurality of drums being associated with data representing the sound of one of the plurality of percussion instruments. A sensor disposed at each drum detects a user-controlled striking force and generates a signal indicative thereof. A triggering device operatively associated with each sensor outputs a triggering signal when the sensor signal exceeds a threshold. A user interface device responsive to user instructions provides a signal indicative of a user selected background music style and/or a drumbeat beat segment. The controller, responsive to the trigger signal of the trigger device and the user command signal from the user interface device, retrieves and outputs data from the storage device representing at least one background music style, at least one drum beat segment, and/or the sound of one of the plurality of percussion instruments.

Accordingly, the drum set has 4 operation modes, and can play: (1) a selected background music style and a selected drumbeat beat segment; (2) a selected background music style without any drumbeat beat segments; (3) a selected drumbeat beat segment without any background music; and (4) without any background music style or drum beat. Each of these patterns may provide the user with different levels of demand to further guide the user in learning the drumbeat beat segments for a background music style.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method for providing an interactive drumbeat tutorial to a user is provided comprising the steps of:

(a) associating each of the plurality of drums with a sound of one of the plurality of percussion instruments, i.e., when one of the plurality of drums is struck by a user, the sound of one of the plurality of percussion instruments associated with the struck drum is output;

(b) associating a background music style sound with a drumbeat beat segment;

(c) outputting sounds of the background music style and the drumbeat beat section when a user designates, so that the user can become proficient in the drumbeat beat section by listening to sounds of both the background music style and the drumbeat beat section and hitting the plurality of drums in an order similar to the drumbeat beat section;

(d) outputting only the sound of the drumbeat beat segment when designated by a user, such that the user can learn the drumbeat beat segment by listening to the drumbeat beat segment and striking the plurality of drums in substantially the same order as the drumbeat beat segment

(e) Outputting only the background music style sound when designated by the user so that the user can perform the drumbeat beat section when the background music style sound is output; and

(f) when designated by the user, the sound of any of the background music genre and the drumbeat beat section is not output, so that the user can freely engage in the performance of the drum.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed descriptions considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims.

In the drawings, like or corresponding elements are designated by like reference numerals throughout

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of an interactive drum kit constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the interactive drum set of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the drum taken along line III-III of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an electronic control system of the interactive drum kit of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 5A and 5B are circuit diagrams of an electronic control system of the interactive drum kit of FIG. 1; and

fig. 6A and 6B are element tables of the circuit diagrams of fig. 5A and 5B.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the interactive drum set 10 of the present invention. The interactive drum kit 10 includes a plurality of support arms 12, a plurality of drums 14, 16, 18, 20 mounted on the support arms 12, a foot pedal 22 (for striking, for example, a bass drum), a user interface device 24, a drum hammer 26, and a frame 28 for mounting the above units. While only 4 drums and one foot pedal are shown, it is contemplated that any number of drums and foot pedals may alternatively be provided.

As best shown in FIG. 2, the control panel 30 of the user interface device 24 has a 1 st key configuration 32 for assisting the user in selecting various background music styles (e.g., Latin, rock, blues, dance, Jazz, and heavy metals); a 2 nd key button arrangement 34 for selecting and deselecting a particular drumbeat beat segment (e.g., "drumbeat beat a" or "drumbeat beat B") having a predetermined association with a particular background music genre; and a tempo control switch 36 (e.g., a rotary button) for changing the playing tempo of the background music and the drumbeat beat section. The drumbeat beat segments may include polyphonic sound segments of various percussion instruments such as cymbals, bass drums, snare drums, and cymbals with a brim. The key button arrangements 32, 34 comprise a plurality of manual switches ON/OFF which are activated, for example, by a user.

As depicted in fig. 2, each drum 14, 16, 18, 20 is electrically associated with the sound of one or more percussion instruments. The instrument sounds specifically associated with each drum are dependent upon the background music style selected by the user. Thus, the drum 14 may correspond, for example, to a cymbal (when the selected background music style is rock, heavy metal, dance, or jazz) or a fishplate (Fish) (when the selected background music style is latin); the drum 16 corresponds to a long drum (when the selected background music style is rock, heavy metal, dance, or jazz) or claues (when the selected background music style is latin); the drum 18 corresponds to a snare drum (for all background music genres); and drum 20 corresponds to a rimmed cymbal (when the selected background music style is rock, heavy metal, dance, or jazz) or a horn drum (bongo drums) (when the selected background music style is latin).

As shown in fig. 3, the interactive drum set 10 preferably includes a sensor 38 (e.g., a force/stress sensor or a piezoelectric transducer) for sensing the direct force of a user being transmitted to the striking area of each of the drums 14, 16, 18, 20, e.g., the center area of the drum, and for generating a signal indicative of or representative of the applied force. It is within the contemplation of the invention that other types of sensors, such as an ON/OFF switch, may be used as desired. The particular configuration of these sensors will be apparent to one of ordinary skill from the description disclosed herein. In any case, the sensor 38 may be attached, for example, to the underside or bottom surface proximate the center region of each drum, so as to be mounted to detect the results of any deflection or movement imparted to the drum force. Preferably, the sensor 38 is hard mounted to the drum, i.e., no elastomeric material is interposed between the sensor and the drum, so that forces transmitted by the user are transmitted to the sensor without significant attenuation. In a preferred construction, as shown in FIG. 3, the bottom surface of the drum has an annular housing or annular bounding wall 40 disposed around the sensor 38.

Still referring to fig. 3, each drum is resiliently mounted to the cantilevered end of the respective support arm 12 by, for example, a coil spring 42, such that the drums 14, 16, 18, 20 are mechanically isolated from each other. In other words, the force transmitted to one drum is not transmitted to the other drum, thereby preventing the sensor mounted on the other drum from being affected, and thus preventing the generation of undesired sound.

Fig. 4 depicts the electronic control system of the interactive drum set 10. As shown, the output of each sensor 38 is connected to the input of a corresponding trigger device 44. For convenience, each trigger 44 is configured to output a signal only when, for example, the analog signal from the force/stress sensor 38 exceeds a predetermined threshold, so that sound is only produced when the force imparted to the drum or drum experience is sufficiently great. This feature is particularly advantageous if the drum is made of a highly flexible material with little or no damping, since without the triggering device 44, the drum set repeatedly and undesirably outputs drum sound as long as the drum is continuously oscillated. The triggering device 44 also serves to protect against "crosstalk" or oscillatory coupling between the drums 14, 16, 18, 20, since drum oscillations resulting from crosstalk may not be sufficient to activate the triggering device 44.

The control system includes an electronic controller 46 for receiving output signals from the trigger means 44 and user command signals generated by the key button arrangements 32, 34 and switches of the foot pedal 22 (e.g., representing a user selected background music style and/or a drumbeat beat segment) and providing control signals to a music data storage means 48. The foot pedal 22 is operatively connected to the controller 46 and is preferably configured as an ON/OFF switch such that when the foot pedal 22 is moved to the ON position, the controller 46 retrieves and outputs data representing sound, for example, bass drum data from the memory device 48.

A music data storage device 48, which may form an integral part of the controller 46, stores data (e.g., in digital format) representing sounds of various pre-recorded background music styles, drum beat segments associated with each background music style, and sounds of various percussion instruments. Preferably, the stored audio data is pre-recorded, rather than synthesized, to provide a more realistic experience to the user. The music data storage device 48 selectively outputs data representing the sound in response to a control signal of the controller 46. If the output signal of the storage means 48 is a digital signal, a digital to analog conversion means is preferably provided to convert the signal to an analog signal. The data of the storage device 48 is output through, for example, a plurality of channels, each of which carries a data string representing the background music style, a drumbeat beat section, or the sound of a percussion instrument.

The channel mixer 50 then combines the signals of each channel from the storage device 48 into a combined sound signal, which is then provided to an audio amplifier 52. Finally, one or more speakers 54 connected to the output of the audio amplifier 52 converts the analog signal into sounds representing the desired background music style, associated drumbeat beat segments, and/or percussion instruments excited by striking the drums 14, 16, 18, and 20, respectively.

Fig. 5A and 5B are circuit diagrams of a presently preferred embodiment of the interactive drum set 10, wherein the functional units of fig. 4 are indicated by dashed lines. Fig. 6A and 6B correspond to the element tables of the circuit diagrams of fig. 5A and 5B.

As illustrated in the above disclosure, the drum set 10 provides 4 sets of performance modes: (1) a selected background music style and a selected pre-recorded drumbeat beat segment; (2) a selected pre-recorded drumbeat beat segment without any background music; (3) a selected background music style without any pre-recorded drumbeat beat segments; and (4) no pre-recorded background music style or drumbeat beat segments.

It is highly convenient that each mode can provide the user with different levels of demand to gradually guide the user to learn a selected drumbeat beat segment for one background music style. For example, after selecting the background music style and the associated drumbeat beat section, the user may activate the mode (1) of the drum kit 10 so that the drum kit 10 performs the selected background music and the drumbeat beat section, respectively, in order to prompt the user to become familiar with the music rhythm and beat. The user may also vary the playback speed by using the tempo control switch 36 to adjust personal needs and preferences. Once the user is comfortable with the selected drumhead beat segment, he may attempt to emulate the drumhead beat segment by striking the drum 14, 16, 18, 20 with the hammer 26 in a segment similar to the selected drumhead segment. Once the user is comfortable with the selected drumbeat beat segment, the user may activate mode (2) of the drum set 10 such that the drum set 10 only plays the selected drumbeat beat segment, i.e., without associated background music. This pattern is particularly helpful to users who are somewhat familiar with the drumbeat beat segment and wish to perform a basic or ideal performance of the drumbeat beat.

Thereafter, the user may initiate the mode (3) of the drum set 10 in which the drum set 10 plays only the selected background music. This mode facilitates the user in making the drumbeat beat segment just learned with the sound of the selected background music style. When continuously performed, the user increases the pleasure accompanying the feeling.

At any time during practice, the user can engage in free play of the drums 14, 16, 18, 20 and thus select percussion instruments by activating the mode (4) of the drum set 10 in which the drum set does not play any pre-recorded drumbeat beat segments or background music. This mode is particularly advantageous for users who wish to create new drumbeat beat segments, or alternatively, wish to practice the drumbeat beat segments without listening to any background music or pre-recorded drumbeat beat segments.

A user who successfully learns a selected drumbeat beat segment can now proceed to learn other pre-recorded drumbeat beat segments associated with the originally selected music genre. As described more fully above, the user can arbitrarily select other music genres and learn the prerecorded drumbeat beat segments associated therewith.

Thus, while there have been shown and described what are at present considered the essential novel features of the invention in the best mode thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements and/or method steps which perform substantially the same function and substantially the same way to achieve substantially the same results are within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims.

Claims (14)

1. A method of providing a user with an interactive drumbeat tutorial, comprising the steps of:

(a) each of the plurality of drums being associated with a sound of each of the plurality of percussion instruments, when one of the plurality of drums is struck by a user, a sound of one of the plurality of percussion instruments associated with the struck drum is output;

(b) associating a background music style sound with a drumbeat beat segment;

(c) when specified by a user, the sounds of the background music style and the drumbeat beat section are output so that the user can become familiar with the drumbeat beat section by listening to the sounds of both the background music style and the drumbeat beat section and by hitting a plurality of drums in an order similar to the drumbeat beat section;

(d) outputting only the sound of the drumbeat beat section when designated by a user, so that the user can learn the drumbeat beat section only by listening to the sound of the drumbeat beat section and hitting the plurality of drumbeat disks in substantially the same order as the drumbeat beat section;

(e) outputting only the background music style sound when designated by the user so that the user can execute the drumbeat beat section when the background music style sound is output; and

(f) when the user designates, neither the background music style nor the drumbeat beat section is output, so that the user is free to engage in the performance of the drum.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises correlating the pre-recorded sounds of the background music style with the pre-recorded sounds of the at least one drumbeat beat segment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises correlating one of latin, rock, heavy metal, dance music, and blue tones as the background music style sound with the sound of at least one drumbeat beat segment.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of associating said background music style with a second drumbeat beat segment so that a user can learn said second drumbeat beat segment.

5. An interactive sleeve drum comprising:

a storage device for storing data representing sounds of at least one background music style, sounds of at least one drumbeat beat section, and sounds of a plurality of percussion instruments;

a plurality of drums, each of the plurality of drums being associated with the data representing sound of one of the plurality of percussion instruments;

a sensor disposed at each of the plurality of drums for detecting a user-generated striking force transmitted to a selected drum and for generating a signal indicative of the detected user-generated striking force;

a triggering device operatively connected to each of said sensors for outputting a triggering signal when said signal from said sensor exceeds a threshold value such that a user-generated impact force detected by said sensor is sufficient to generate a sound to minimize cross-talk between at least two of said plurality of drums;

user interface means responsive to user instructions for providing a signal indicative of at least one of said at least one background music style and said at least one drumbeat beat segment selected by the user; and

a controller responsive to said trigger signal of the triggering mechanism for outputting data indicative of the sounds of a percussion instrument associated with a drum disk receiving a user-initiated striking force, said controller being further responsive to said signal from said user interface device, said signal being for engaging in one of four following modes of operation:

(1) outputting data representing the selected background music style and the selected drumbeat beat section;

(2) outputting only data representing the selected drumbeat beat segments;

(3) outputting only data representing the selected background music style; and

(4) any data representing at least one of the selected background music style and the drumbeat beat section is not output.

6. The interactive drumming system of claim 5, wherein said storage device outputs data via a plurality of channels, each of said plurality of channels carrying data representing the sound of each of said background music style, one of said drum beat segments and each of said plurality of percussion instruments, and further comprising a channel mixer operatively connected to said storage device for combining the output data from each of said channels into a combined sound signal.

7. The interactive drumming dish of claim 6, further comprising an audio amplifier for amplifying the combined sound signal from the channel mixer.

8. The interactive sleeve of claim 7 further comprising a speaker for converting the combined sound signal into sound waves.

9. The interactive sleeve according to claim 5, wherein each of said sensors is disposed on a bottom surface of each of said plurality of drums.

10. The interactive sleeve according to claim 9, wherein at least one of said sensors comprises a piezoelectric transducer.

11. An interactive sleeve according to claim 5, wherein said user interface means comprises a plurality of ON/OFF switches manually actuable by a user for generating user instructions.

12. The interactive drumhead according to claim 5, further comprising a plurality of support arms, each of the plurality of support arms having a cantilevered end, and wherein each of the plurality of drums is resiliently mounted on the cantilevered end of the each of the plurality of support arms such that one drum is isolated from oscillatory motion of the other drums.

13. The interactive drumstick of claim 12, further comprising a spring interposed between the cantilevered end of each of the support arms and each of the drums.

14. The interactive snare drum of claim 5, wherein one of the plurality of percussion instruments comprises a bass drum, and further comprising a foot pedal operatively connected to the controller and having ON and OFF positions, such that when the foot pedal is moved to the ON position, the controller retrieves and outputs data representing the sound of the bass drum from the memory device.