Electronic musical instrument, system, and method

Abstract

This disclosure generally relates to electronic musical instruments, systems, and methods. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to electronic percussion instruments such as timpani, snare drums, bass drums, cymbals, and hi-hats, and assemblies of instruments (e.g., percussion instruments) such as drum sets. Some cymbals and hi-hats according to the present disclosure can be used in combination with conventional acoustic metal cymbals. The present disclosure generally relates to devices and methods for operating an electronic musical instrument system including one or more instruments and a hub, particularly a system including wireless communication between the instruments and the hub. Various devices and methods for operating the system are described, including various operating modes of the devices, methods and techniques for connecting the devices, methods for improving communication speed and robustness, and methods for conserving power.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross - Reference to Related Applications: This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 391,253, entitled "Electronic Symbol Arrangement and Method," filed on July 21, 2022, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 408,443, entitled "Electronic Symbol Arrangement and Method," filed on September 20, 2022, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0002] This application is related to U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 153,819, entitled "Electronic Musical Instruments and Systems," filed on January 20, 2021, which claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 963,504, entitled "Electronic Musical Instrument," filed on January 20, 2020, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 011,882, entitled "Electronic Musical Instrument," filed on April 17, 2020. This application is also related to U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 153,824, entitled "Electronic Cymbal Musical Instruments and Systems," filed on January 20, 2021, which claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 963,504, entitled "Electronic Musical Instrument," filed on January 20, 2020, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 011,882, entitled "Electronic Musical Instrument," filed on April 17, 2020. Each of these five related applications is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Further, PCT Application PCT / US21 / 14217, entitled "Electronic Musical Instruments and Systems," filed on January 20, 2021, is also hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Background of the Disclosure Field of the Disclosure

[0003] This disclosure generally relates to electronic musical instruments. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to electronic percussion instruments such as timpani, snare drums, bass drums, cymbals, and hi-hats, and / or assemblies of musical instruments such as drum sets (e.g., percussion instruments). Even more particularly, the present disclosure relates to wireless electronic percussion instruments and percussion instruments having replaceable and / or removable components for changing instruments between conventional percussion instruments (which rely on resonance and / or vibration to produce sound) and electronic percussion instruments. Description of Related Art

[0004] Conventional wireless electronic drums have problems with latency, such as a significant delay between when the device is actuated and when the electronic sound is generated. Conventional wired electronic drums do not suffer from the same latency problem, but are cumbersome in that one or more wired connections to each device (e.g., connections to a power source and / or a sound module) are required. Some examples of conventional wireless electronic percussion instruments, the components and concepts of which may also be incorporated into embodiments of the present disclosure, are described in Romanian Patent Publication RO130805A1 by Piscoi, filed Jun. 30, 2014, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] One embodiment of an electronic musical instrument system according to the present disclosure includes an electronic musical instrument having an electronic device for communicating with a hub. The electronic musical instrument is configured to operate in a plurality of modes having different functions, and the plurality of modes includes a sleep mode, a standby mode, and an execution mode.

[0006] One embodiment of a method of operating a musical instrument system according to the present disclosure includes controlling the musical instrument to operate in a plurality of modes including a sleep mode, a scan mode, a standby mode, and an execution mode. The method further includes controlling the musical instrument to transition from the sleep mode to the scan mode and transmitting a connection request from a first musical instrument to a hub during the scan mode. The hub may be controlled to receive the connection request and form a connection between the first musical instrument and the hub. The method further includes controlling the first musical instrument to transition to the standby mode. The method further includes controlling the first musical instrument to transition from the standby mode to the execution mode and transmitting a musical instrument signal from the musical instrument to the hub during the execution mode. The hub may be controlled to receive the musical instrument signal. The method further includes generating sound based on the musical instrument signal.

[0007] Another embodiment of an electronic musical instrument system according to the present disclosure includes a hub having at least a first hub antenna and a musical instrument configured to pair with the hub to be able to transmit a musical instrument signal to the hub, the musical instrument including a first musical instrument antenna and a second musical instrument antenna. The hub and the musical instrument are configured to communicate between the first musical instrument antenna and the first hub antenna and between the second musical instrument antenna and the first hub antenna.

[0008] Another embodiment of a method of operating a musical instrument system according to the present disclosure includes pairing the musical instrument with the hub and transmitting one or more musical instrument signals from a first musical instrument antenna to a hub antenna. The method further includes determining that communication using the first musical instrument antenna has reached a low performance threshold, transitioning from the first musical instrument antenna to a second musical instrument antenna, and transmitting one or more musical instrument signals from the musical instrument to the hub using the second musical instrument antenna.

[0009] One embodiment of a cymbal assembly according to the present disclosure includes a striking portion and an electronic device portion below the striking portion. The electronic device portion includes at least a first edge sensor. The cymbal assembly further includes a spacer between the first edge sensor and the lower side of the striking portion.

[0010] Another embodiment of a cymbal assembly according to the present disclosure includes a striking portion, an electronic device portion below the striking portion, a first edge sensor between the electronic device portion and the lower side of the striking portion, and a spacer between the electronic device portion and the lower side of the striking portion.

[0011] One method of forming a cymbal assembly according to the present disclosure includes placing a spacer material between the electronic device portion and the striking portion and curing the spacer material to form a spacer that fills the gap between the electronic device portion and the striking portion.

[0012] Another embodiment of a cymbal assembly according to the present disclosure includes a striking portion including a conductive material and an electronic device portion below the striking portion. The assembly further includes a conductive element disposed above the electronic device portion and below the striking portion, and one or more sensors configured to measure a variable corresponding to the distance between the striking portion and the conductive element.

[0013] One embodiment of a hi-hat assembly according to the present disclosure includes a first cymbal and a second cymbal spaced apart from the first cymbal by a separation distance when the hi-hat assembly is in a rest position. The hi-hat assembly further includes a lever including a conductive material on the first cymbal and a mount including a conductive material on the first cymbal proximate to the lever. The assembly includes an actuator on the second cymbal and a sensor between the first cymbal and the second cymbal configured to measure the capacitance between the lever and the mount.

[0014] This is a somewhat broad overview of the features and technical advantages of the present disclosure so that the following detailed description can be better understood. Further features and advantages of the present disclosure will be described below. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the present disclosure can be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes as the present disclosure. It should also be understood by those skilled in the art that such equivalent configurations do not depart from the teachings of the present disclosure as set forth in the appended claims. The novel features believed to be characteristic of the present disclosure, both as to its construction and method of operation, together with further features and advantages, will be better understood from the following description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, it should be clearly understood that each drawing is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the scope of the present disclosure.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015] FIG. 1A is a diagram of a musical instrument system according to the present disclosure.

[0016] FIGS. 1B and 1C are flowcharts showing methods according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 2B is a diagram of a musical instrument signal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of a snare drum according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, where the top drum head is removed.

[0020] FIGS. 4A and 4B are, respectively, a top perspective view and an exploded top perspective view of a part of a snare drum according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIGS. 5A to 5F are various perspective views of an electronic device part according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 5G is an exploded view of a sensor arrangement according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] FIGS. 6A and 6B are rear and bottom rear perspective views, respectively, of a bass drum according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, where the rear drum head is removed.

[0024] FIG. 6C is a rear perspective view of the bass drum shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B and also includes the rear drum head.

[0025] FIG. 6D is a lower rear perspective view of another embodiment of a bass drum according to the present disclosure, where the rear drum head is removed.

[0026] FIGS. 7A and 7B are bottom perspective views of a cymbal assembly according to the present disclosure, FIG. 7C is a top perspective view thereof. FIGS. 7D and 7E are exploded perspective views of the cymbal assembly shown in FIGS. 7A to 7C. FIG. 7F is a cross-sectional view of the cymbal assembly shown in FIGS. 7A to 7C.

[0027] FIGS. 7G to 7J are perspective views of another embodiment of a hi-hat assembly according to the present disclosure.

[0028] FIGS. 7K to 7N are perspective views of another embodiment of a hi-hat assembly according to the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG. 7O shows a partial cross-sectional view of a cymbal assembly according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG. 7P shows a partial cross-sectional view of a cymbal assembly according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] FIGS. 8A to 8C are partial perspective views of the cymbal assembly shown in FIGS. 7A to 7F.

[0032] FIGS. 9A to 9C are partial perspective views of a hi-hat assembly according to the present disclosure.

[0033] Figures 10A through 10C are perspective views of another embodiment of a hi-hat assembly according to the present disclosure.

[0034] Figures 11A and 11B are, respectively, a perspective view and an exploded perspective view of a portion of the hi-hat assembly shown in Figures 10A through 10C.

[0035] Figures 12A and 12B are cross-sectional views of another embodiment of a hi-hat assembly according to the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] This disclosure generally relates to electronic musical instruments. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to electronic percussion instruments such as timpani, snare drums, bass drums, cymbals, and hi-hats, and assemblies of musical instruments (e.g., percussion instruments) such as drum sets. Even more particularly, the present disclosure relates to wireless electronic percussion instruments and percussion instruments having interchangeable and / or removable components for changing instruments between conventional percussion instruments (which rely on resonance and / or vibration to produce sound) and electronic percussion instruments. The present disclosure also relates to electronic cymbal instruments such as cymbal assemblies and hi-hat assemblies that can be used in combination with conventional acoustic metal cymbals in some embodiments.

[0037] The present disclosure also generally relates to apparatuses and methods for operating an electronic musical instrument system including one or more musical instruments and a hub for wirelessly receiving signals from the musical instruments in many embodiments. Various apparatuses and methods for operating the system are described, including various operating modes of the apparatuses, methods and techniques for connecting the apparatuses, methods for improving communication speed and robustness, and methods for conserving power.

[0038] Note that when an element is referred to as being "above" another element, it can be either directly above the other element or there can be intervening elements between the two. Similarly, when an element is "attached to", "connected to", or the like another element, it can be directly attached / connected to the other element or there can also be intervening elements between the two. Further, relative terms including "inner", "outer", "upper", "top", "above", "lower", "bottom", "beneath", "below", and the like can be used herein to describe the relationship of one element to another element. Terms including "higher", "lower", "wider", "narrower", and the like can be used herein to describe positional and / or angular relationships. These terms are intended to encompass not only the orientation actually shown in the figures but also different orientations of the element or system.

[0039] In this specification, terms such as first, second, etc. may be used to describe various elements, members, regions, and / or sections, but these elements, members, regions, and / or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, member, region, and / or section from another. Thus, unless otherwise specified, the first element, member, region, and / or section discussed below could just as well be referred to as the second element, member, region, and / or section without departing from the teachings of this disclosure.

[0040] Embodiments of the present disclosure are described herein with reference to the figures, which are schematic diagrams. Accordingly, the actual thicknesses of the elements may vary, and for example, variations from the shapes of the figures are expected as a result of manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances. Therefore, the elements shown in the figures are essentially schematic, and their shapes are not necessarily intended to indicate the exact shape of the regions, nor are they intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0041] Figure 1A shows an embodiment of a basic system according to the present disclosure. The system of Figure 1A includes one or more musical instruments 10 configured as described herein. In the specific example of Figure 1A, each musical instrument 10 is a drum or cymbal of a drum set. A drum set may include a plurality of drums and cymbals 10. In other examples, the musical instrument 10 may be another type of musical instrument. One or more musical instruments 10 are configured to transmit musical instrument signals to a hub 20. The musical instrument signals may be generated by one or more musical instruments 10 in response to the operation of the musical instrument 10 that generates electrical impulses in one or more sensors, for example. These musical instrument signals may be transmitted wirelessly to the hub 20. The hub 20 includes one or more electronic processors (such as a microprocessor) and / or circuits configured to provide the operations and functions described herein and can function as an intermediate device for receiving musical instrument signals. The hub 20 is connected to another device such as a computer 30 or a sound module 40 that generates sound itself, or is connected to one or more other sound generating devices such as a speaker 50. The transmission link from the hub 20 to the computer 30 or the sound module 40 may be a wired connection to minimize latency. In other examples, the transmission link from the hub 20 to the computer 30 or the sound module 40 is a wireless link (for example, using a different protocol, frequency, timing, code, or other mechanism to distinguish it from the wireless transmission from one or more musical instruments 10). Power may be supplied or received by the hub 20 via one or more batteries, a connection to a wall outlet, a connection to a host device, or other means known in the art. Wireless Connection

[0042] In embodiments of the present disclosure, a message / signal (used interchangeably herein) can be transmitted from device 10 to hub 20 using various specifications known in the art such as Bluetooth® LE, although other formats may be used. In one embodiment, the signal can be transmitted using a frequency shift keying (FSK) frequency modulation scheme. In certain embodiments, Bluetooth® and / or 1 Mbps FSK is used.

[0043] Any signal transmission specification having sufficient latency performance can be used in embodiments of the present disclosure. Conventional plug-in (i.e., wired) modules typically experienced a latency in the range of 4 - 12 ms, whereas embodiments of the present disclosure experienced a latency of 20 ms or less, 15 ms or less, 12 ms or less, 10 ms or less, 8 ms or less, 6 ms or less, or even lower.

[0044] FIG. 1B is a flowchart of method 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure and can be utilized in various devices according to the present disclosure (including but not limited to device 10 of FIG. 1A, which will be specifically described below). Additional blocks may be included and / or blocks may be omitted.

[0045] When the user activates the musical instrument 10 (block 102), the activation (e.g., through the physical results of the activation such as displacement of the drum head, cymbal, pedal, vibration of the drum head, cymbal, or other parts of the musical instrument 10, but not limited thereto) is recognized by one or more sensors of the electronic musical instrument 10 (block 104), and a reaction (e.g., impulse) is generated. The sensors can be linked (e.g., using one or more wires) to an electronic device such as the electronic device 200 shown in FIG. 2, which will be described in more detail below. However, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, other electronic devices can also be used. The electronic device 200 includes one or more processors or processing electronic devices configured to receive / accept information (e.g., impulses) from one or more sensors (block 106). The processor or processing electronic device is further configured to execute a logic function (e.g., using a logic gate circuit or software routine) to determine what message needs to be sent based on the received information / impulses. In a specific embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device determines (step 108) whether the impulse from the sensor exceeds a minimum transmission threshold based on one or more received impulses (which helps prevent inadvertent transmission of unintended impulses). If it exceeds, it processes the sensor information and determines what message / signal to send and what it is (step 110). In a particular example, the minimum transmission threshold may be, for example, a predetermined voltage that needs to be generated by one or more of the piezoelectric sensors of the device. In other examples, the minimum transmission threshold may be another predetermined sensor output. When the minimum transmission threshold is met, the electronic device can send the determined message to the hub 20 (block 112).

[0046] The system can be configured such that when a message from an electronic device is received, the hub 20 or another recipient-side element transmits an acknowledgement signal. The processor of the electronic device 200 or the processing electronic device can further be configured to include a retransmission protocol such that the electronic device 200 retransmits the original message if an acknowledgement response message is not received within a certain time. In a preferred embodiment, the retransmission time (i.e., the time until the electronic device retransmits if it does not receive an acknowledgement signal) is 1 millisecond or less. This cycle can be repeated until a preset timeout, after which the electronic device no longer attempts to transmit the original message. Since the retransmission time is 1 millisecond or less, multiple retransmission attempts are required before a human can recognize that the original signal has not passed through. In some embodiments, 5 to 100 retransmissions, 25 to 75 retransmissions, or approximately 50 retransmissions may be attempted before timeout. Instrument Signal

[0047] In one embodiment, 112-bit / 14-byte signals are used. These signal sizes reduce latency and the potential for interference.

[0048] In a more specific embodiment, a 112-bit standardized packet format 250 is divided into 8 bits dedicated to a preamble 252, 32 bits dedicated to a synchronization destination address 254 that identifies the message recipient, 32 bits dedicated to a header 256, 24 bits dedicated to a payload 258, and 16 bits dedicated to a CRC 260. Messages of various sizes can be divided using the same ratio or different ratios.

[0049] The synchronization address (e.g., synchronization destination address 254) is unique to each product, like the serial number, and can be used as the "identifier" described in this specification. It can also be used in other ways, such as to identify the manufacturing date, manufacturer, etc., but is not limited to these. Part of the synchronization address can also identify the types of products at the source and destination, such as hubs and electronic devices. For example, a plurality of bits may be consistent among product types. In another embodiment, further differentiation is possible. For example, each type of device can be given a unique identifier. In a specific embodiment, the first part (e.g., the first 8 bits or the last 8 bits) of the synchronization destination address identifies the type of product (e.g., hub or device), and the other 24 bits identify a specific hub or device. However, other embodiments are also possible.

[0050] The header 256 can be used for various information such as the number of retries (i.e., whether this message is the first attempt to send the same substantial information, the second attempt, etc.), the antenna used for message transmission (such as a chip antenna or a wire antenna), the antenna used by the receiver to receive the message (such as a chip antenna or an antenna), the message serial number (such as the serial number of the message since the electronic device wakes up from sleep mode, independent of the retry attempt), and the type of message (such as a device signal based on the operation of the device, a confirmation message, etc.). In one embodiment of the present invention, the serial number of the message of the musical instrument or electronic device is not reset, and thus serves to indicate to the user how much the musical instrument or electronic device has been used.

[0051] The payload 258 can be used to embody various operation variables. For example, (1) it can be used to identify the sender of the message using the identifier assigned by the receiver, or (2) it can include information related to the operation. In a specific embodiment using the MIDI format, the payload 258 may include information on the MIDI zone and velocity (i.e., 0 to 127).

[0052] The signal lengths used in embodiments of the present disclosure may be relatively short, such as lengths of 250 μs or less, 200 μs or less, 150 μs or less, or less than 100 μs, although other lengths are possible, which, especially when combined with the signal sizes described above, reduces delays and the potential for interference. Power Mode of Instrument

[0053] Power conservation is crucial in wireless electronic devices because replacing batteries in electronic modules can be a complicated and time-consuming process, and unexpected loss of power is undesirable. In certain embodiments, musical instrument 10 can be controlled, such as through electronics 200 (including processing electronics and / or electronic modules, which are described in more detail later in this disclosure), to operate using two or more power modes, thereby aiding in power conservation. Some power modes according to embodiments of the present disclosure include (1) sleep mode, (2) standby mode, and / or (3) run mode, although other modes and any number of modes (e.g., one mode, two or more modes, three or more modes, four or more modes, etc.) are possible. When referring to a musical instrument in the description of FIGS. 1A-2 , its power modes, and other descriptions understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, it should be understood that this can also refer to electronic circuit modules and / or electronic circuitry 200 (described in more detail later in this disclosure), and that these same or similar concepts can be applied to hub 20. It should also be understood that when referring to the number of modes, this does not include situations where the instrument is completely turned off or the equipment is completely turned off due to lack of power or otherwise.

[0054] Sleep Mode: In some embodiments, the musical instrument 10 and / or electronic device 200 may remain in sleep mode until awakened by an action. In sleep mode, the instrument operates in a limited manner and has fewer features than in other modes to conserve power. While not zero, power usage in sleep mode may be minimized, e.g., 100 μA or less, 50 μA or less, 25 μA or less, 10 μA or less, or about 10 μA. In sleep mode, boost converters and analog circuitry may be disconnected or powered off to achieve low power usage levels.

[0055] The instrument 10 can be configured to wake up from sleep mode and enter standby mode (described below) only upon recognition of a single wake-up action, or upon recognition of any of multiple wake-up actions. Exemplary wake-up actions include, for example, pairing to the hub 20, receiving a connection request (e.g., from the hub 20), receiving an acknowledgement and / or acceptance (e.g., from the hub 20) of a connection request sent by the instrument 10, activating the instrument 10 (e.g., striking a drumhead), which in more specific embodiments may require activation above at least a threshold value, receiving an impulse from a sensor to the electronics 200, which in more specific embodiments may require the impulse to be above at least a threshold value, activating a switch (e.g., a switch in a throw-off), or other embodiments as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

[0056] The use of intensities above a threshold in such and other ways is useful to prevent the instrument 10 and / or the system from operating in response to light touches, light collisions by the user with the instrument, or minor accidental stimuli that do not reach intensities above the threshold. By avoiding inadvertent activation, unnecessary power losses and other unintended operations are reduced. The instrument can recognize a stimulus, determine whether the magnitude of the threshold has been met, and decide whether to execute an action or not based on whether the magnitude of the threshold has been met. This block may be the same as or identical to block 110 of FIG. 1B, or it may be different. In one embodiment, whether the magnitude of the threshold has been met is determined by measuring the voltage generated by one or more sensors of the instrument (e.g., its main piezoelectric sensor) and comparing that voltage to a predetermined threshold voltage. The magnitude of the threshold can be set in advance or configured by the user, and can also be different or the same for different devices and sensors, including sensors within the same instrument. The determination of the magnitude of the threshold and / or whether the magnitude of the threshold has been met can be performed using an analog comparator (e.g., for each sensor), and the adjustment of the magnitude of the threshold can be performed by adjusting the comparator bias. The magnitude of the threshold can also be stored (e.g., in memory) and adjusted within the electronic module 210.

[0057] When certain pre-set conditions are met, it is possible to re-enter the sleep mode from other modes. For example, in one embodiment, when it is determined that the instrument 10 is not paired with the hub 20, the system returns to the sleep mode. In another embodiment, when a predetermined amount of time elapses without being stimulated, the system re-enters the sleep mode.

[0058] Sleep / Scan Switching: In some embodiments, the instrument 10 is not configured to seek such a hub connection during sleep mode. Instead, the instrument 10 can temporarily resume from sleep mode to scan mode, and if the connection is not established and / or if no acknowledgment response is received, the instrument 10 will send a connection request to one or more potential pairing partners before returning to sleep mode. This can be done at a preset time interval (a "sleep timer") such as once every 1 second or more, once every 3 seconds or more, once every 5 seconds or more, once every 7 seconds or more, once every 10 seconds or more, once every 30 seconds or more, once every 60 seconds or more, less than 60 seconds, less than 30 seconds, less than 15 seconds, less than 10 seconds, less than 7 seconds, less than 5 seconds, less than 3 seconds, less than 1 second, combinations of these ranges (e.g., from once every 1 second to once every 30 seconds, or from once every 1 second to once every 15 seconds), or other ranges or intervals understood by those skilled in the art. The total time in scan mode for each of these request cycles, including the nominal wake-up time (typically less than 100 μs, e.g., about 10 μs), can be less than 1 second, less than 500 ms, less than 250 ms, less than 100 ms, less than 50 ms, less than 25 ms, less than 10 ms, less than 5 ms, less than 2.5 ms, from 500 μs to less than 5 ms, or about 1.5 ms in embodiments of the present disclosure, but these ranges are exemplary in nature. The percentage of the total time in standby mode for each request cycle is less than 5%, less than 1%, less than 0.5%, less than 0.1%, less than 0.05%, less than 0.025%, or about 0.02%, but these ranges are exemplary.

[0059] In one embodiment of this switching, the musical instrument 10 only sends messages requesting connection to one or more priority hubs 20, such as the most recently connected hub 20, as will be described in more detail below. This can minimize the amount of power used and the time in the scan mode. Also, in one embodiment, the electronic device can perform this function as part of the sleep mode without switching to the scan mode (the sleep mode requires more power). The musical instrument 10 can send messages at the same frequency or channel used during the last connection to the hub 20, or multiple frequencies / channels. In a more specific embodiment, if the musical instrument cannot connect at that frequency / channel, it can request connection using multiple other frequencies / channels.

[0060] Once successfully linked with the hub 20, the musical instrument 10 can perform or complete the transition from the sleep mode or the scan mode to the standby mode within the nominal time and / or almost zero time.

[0061] Standby mode: In some embodiments, the musical instrument 10 and / or the electronic device 200 may include a standby mode. The standby mode is a partial operating mode with higher operating ability than the sleep mode and, in some embodiments, the scan mode. For example, in the standby mode, power is supplied to the analog circuits and boost converters of the musical instrument / electronic device, and it is immediately ready to transition to the execution mode to send musical instrument signals. As another example, in the standby mode, after being inactive for a certain time (the "idle timer"), the device can be set to send a ping message to the connected hub to check the connection or confirm that the connection has ended. Examples of standby mode functions will be described later with reference to FIG. 1C.

[0062] Execution mode: In the execution mode, the instrument 10 can transmit and receive instrument signals to and from a pairing partner such as a hub. The execution mode may include fewer functions than all the functions of the sleep and / or standby modes. For example, certain other functions such as searching for a pairing partner / hub are not executed in the execution mode because such actions are not necessary. This reduces data traffic, saves power, and reduces the possibility of interference. As another example, if the profile information of the instrument 10 is shared as part of the connection process to the hub 20, there is no need to communicate that information when the instrument 10 is in the execution mode unless there is a change to that information (e.g., when the user sends an instruction to change the sound of the drums from the first type of drums to the second type of drums).

[0063] Standby / Execution Switching: As will be described in more detail below with respect to FIG. 1C, the instrument 10 can switch between the standby mode and the execution mode, such as when the user is playing. From the standby mode, the instrument 10 can determine whether it has received an instruction or stimulus (e.g., one that meets a threshold magnitude). If so, the instrument 10 can resume from the standby mode to the execution mode, create and transmit an instrument signal, and wait for / receive an acknowledgment from the hub 20.

[0064] Similarly, the hub 20 according to a particular embodiment of the present disclosure can also operate using the above power modes, and "wake-up" is achieved by means such as the operation of a computer to which the hub is connected (e.g., moving the computer mouse, logging in, activating the touch screen), or other means as described above with respect to the instrument, and / or other means understood by those skilled in the art. Instrument-Hub Connection

[0065] As described above with respect to the power mode, the method according to the present disclosure can include pairing the musical instrument 10 and the hub 20. The musical instrument 10 can be configured to request connection to the hub 20 in various ways. For example, the musical instrument 10 can request connection to (or vice versa) the hub 20 in response to an instruction or stimulus as described above and / or at a preset time interval as described above. In some embodiments, the musical instrument 10 first requests connection and / or requests connection only to a preferred hub 20 such as the most recently connected hub 20. If there is no record of a preferred hub, such as when the preferred hub cannot be found or the device is new, the musical instrument 10 can request connection to any hub (as opposed to the preferred hub). For example, the musical instrument 10 can be configured to broadcast a scan message and listen for a response from any hub (the hub 20 may send this response during a pairing mode that can be set by the user). In one embodiment, the musical instrument 10 can be configured to request connection via a priority list of hubs stored in the memory of the electronic device 200 (for example, from the most recently paired hub (the most preferred hub) to the oldest paired hub (the least preferred hub)) before requesting connection to a non-preferred hub. In one embodiment, when the musical instrument 10 requests connection at a preset time interval, the musical instrument 10 can request connection only to previously paired hubs, such as the most recently paired hub. The hub priority settings, such as the most preferred hub or the priority hub list (the identifier of the priority hub can be used), can be stored in the memory of the electronic device 200. Sharing of Device Profile and Settings

[0066] As part of the communication with the hub 20, the musical instrument 10 (or the electronic device 200, the electronic module, etc.) according to the present disclosure can also share information about the device. As an example, the musical instrument 10 can send or receive device profile information and / or settings to or from the hub 20.

[0067] Instrument profile information includes, but is not limited to, information that cannot be configured, identifiers and / or identification information (e.g., serial number), firmware information, instrument information (e.g., type of instrument, size of instrument, manufacturer, custom modifications, usage information of the instrument (e.g., playing time of the instrument), etc.), and / or other information understandable by those skilled in the art.

[0068] Settings include, but are not limited to, instrument settings configurable by the user, digital instrument information (information regarding the sound of the instrument emulated by the electronic instrument, e.g., manufacturer, model, shell type, size, head information, etc.), sound settings (e.g., volume settings, transient shaping, reverb, delay, and other post-processing settings), and / or other information understandable by those skilled in the art. Settings, especially those that change based on the usage situation and the configuration selected by the user, are saved in the device (e.g., via the memory of the electronic device 200) each time the instrument 10 is disconnected from the hub 20, such as in the memory associated with the electronic device 200 or the instrument 10, so that they can be utilized the next time the instrument 10 is connected to its hub 20 and / or another hub.

[0069] The sharing of information profiles and settings can be performed at any number of different timings, as described in the following examples of device and hub connections. Example of Operating Method of Instrument System

[0070] FIG. 1C shows an example of a method 150 for operating a musical instrument system in accordance with the present disclosure. It should be understood that method 150 is merely an example and that numerous other embodiments are possible. For example, the blocks shown in FIG. 1C may be omitted, the blocks may be combined with each other, the blocks may be executed in an order different from the order shown, and / or additional blocks may be included. Also, in this example, "musical instrument" refers to performing an action, but it should be understood that this action may be specifically performed by components of the musical instrument 10, such as the electronic device 200, the electronic module 210, the sensor, etc. Also, multiple musical instruments 10 may perform this method simultaneously using the same hub 20 or different hubs.

[0071] Blocks shown or described as occurring during a particular device mode may occur only in one or more different modes not shown / described, or may occur in multiple modes including or excluding the mode shown / described. With respect to FIG. 1C, examples of sleep mode blocks include blocks 152, 154, and / or 156, examples of scan mode blocks include blocks 154 (which triggers the change from sleep mode to scan mode), 158, and / or 160, examples of standby mode blocks include blocks 162, 164, 166, 168, 170, and / or 172, and examples of execution mode blocks include blocks 172 (which serves as the transition point between standby mode and execution mode when a threshold magnitude is met), 174, 176, 178, 180, 182, 184, and / or 186.

[0072] Referring to an example of method 150 according to the present disclosure, when the musical instrument is connected to a power source and / or the power is turned on, at block 152, the musical instrument can enter the sleep mode as described above. At block 154, an activation action such as an impulse from a specific sensor (e.g., a piezoelectric sensor of the central drum head of a drum, a main piezoelectric sensor of the musical instrument) may occur. While the musical instrument is waiting for a wake-up action, as described above regarding the sleep mode / scan mode switch, a sleep timer check (block 156) is cycled to determine whether a hub (e.g., a priority hub) exists (block 158). After block 154 and before block 160, the musical instrument can enter the scan mode and also determine whether a hub exists (block 158). At block 158, in one embodiment of the scan mode, only the last connected channel is used to determine whether hub 20 exists, and in another embodiment, multiple channels such as all available channels are used.

[0073] When any condition of block 154 or block 158 is met, the musical instrument 10 can attempt to initialize communication with the hub 20 at block 160. At block 160, the musical instrument 10 can attempt to initialize communication by using only the last connected channel, using multiple channels, or using all available channels to determine whether the hub exists (e.g., the method described above regarding the sleep / scan switch). In one embodiment, block 160 utilizes more channels than block 158. Examples of available channels will be described in detail below. At block 161, the musical instrument 10 determines whether the initialization was successful. If the initialization was not successful, the musical instrument 10 can return to the sleep mode 152 and execute the foregoing blocks again. If the initialization is successful, the musical instrument 10 can enter the standby mode 162.

[0074] In standby mode 162, in block 164, the instrument 10 can monitor commands or stimuli (hereinafter referred to as "stimuli" for simplicity of explanation), such as monitoring one or more terminals 202 of the electronic device 200. When no stimulus is received, the instrument 10 continues to monitor for stimuli until it determines in block 166 that a predetermined time has elapsed, i.e., the idle timer has expired. The idle timer can be, for example, from 10 seconds to 10 minutes, from 30 seconds to 5 minutes, from 1 minute to 3 minutes, about 2 minutes, longer or shorter than these times, or a combination of these ranges, but these times are merely exemplary and other times are possible.

[0075] When it is determined that the idle timer has expired, in block 168, the instrument 10 sends a "ping" message to the hub 20 to confirm that the connection still exists. In block 170, the instrument 10 determines whether the hub 20 has responded to the ping message. If the hub 20 has responded, the instrument 10 returns to standby mode 162 and the idle timer is reset. If the hub 20 does not respond, the instrument 10 can return to block 160 to attempt to initialize the hub connection or return to another block or state such as sleep mode 152.

[0076] When a stimulus 164 is detected, in block 172, the instrument 10 can determine whether the stimulus 164 meets the threshold magnitude. If the stimulus 164 does not meet the threshold magnitude, the instrument 10 returns to standby mode 162 and can execute the described blocks again. The threshold magnitude of the stimulus 164 can be made smaller than the threshold magnitude of the stimulus in block 154 used to wake the device from sleep mode 152. That is, to wake the device from sleep mode 152, a stimulus of a higher magnitude (e.g., a faster strike) than the threshold stimulus leading to the transmission of a device signal may be required.

[0077] When the stimulus 164 meets the threshold requirement, the instrument 10 can enter the execution mode. In block 174, a consecutive number of the message (described above) is assigned, and the number of retries and the idle timer are reset by the instrument 10. In block 176, the rest of the instrument signal is created (e.g., from the sensor input), and in block 178, the instrument signal is transmitted. Next, the instrument 10 monitors the confirmation message from the hub 20 and determines whether such a message has been received (block 180). The instrument 10 can change to the "receive" mode while waiting for the confirmation message (e.g., via its electronic device 200 and / or transceiver). The confirmation message according to a particular example of the present disclosure can include the same consecutive number as the received instrument signal so that the confirmed instrument signal can be properly identified.

[0078] When the confirmation message is received, the instrument 10 returns to the standby mode 162. If the confirmation message is not received, the device can enter the retransmission protocol 182 and / or the connection diversity protocol 184, which will be described in detail elsewhere in the present disclosure. This can occur after a preset time after the transmission of the device signal when the confirmation response message has not been received, e.g., at least 50 μs, at least 100 μs, at least 250 μs, at least 400 μs, immediate (~0 or nominal), less than 5 ms, less than 2 ms, less than 1 ms, less than 500 μs, between any of these times, and / or after about 430 μs. In one embodiment, the time until retransmission changes. For example, the retransmission time can be changed and / or randomized among a plurality of potential retransmission times (e.g., immediate, 320 μs, 640 μs, and / or 960 μs), or can be changed and / or randomized within a range of potential retransmission times such as the above range. Different devices / electronic devices within the system can have different retransmission times or protocols to avoid the rare situation where two or more signals are generated exactly at the same time and enter the retransmission protocol at exactly the same timing.

[0079] In block 186, when a confirmation response is finally received, device 10 can return to standby mode 162. On the other hand, if a confirmation response is not received after the retransmission protocol 182 and / or the connection diversity protocol 184 is completed, in some embodiments, device 10 can return to blocks 182, 184 and repeat the retransmission protocol and / or the connection diversity protocol. Finally, if the maximum number of attempts is reached without a confirmation response being received, device 10 returns to block 160 (initialization of hub communication) and / or standby mode 162, or other blocks understood by those skilled in the art.

[0080] In one of the blocks not shown in FIG. 1C, before transmitting the instrument signal at block 178, the instrument / electronic device according to the present disclosure can perform a radio frequency check before transmitting the signal. If the frequency is busy or already in use by another instrument such as another instrument in a drum set, the instrument / electronic device can delay transmission for a short time (e.g., 1 millisecond or less, 500 microseconds or less, 100 microseconds to 500 microseconds, or about 270 microseconds) before performing another check to see if the signal can be transmitted or the frequency is available. Multiple Instruments

[0081] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a single hub 20 is used to receive signals from multiple electronic musical instruments 10 and, in so doing, generate sound from each of these instruments (via one or more sound sources). For example, a single hub can be used to receive signals from various instruments of a drum set, such as 1) a snare drum, 2) one or more toms, 3) a bass drum, 4) cymbals, 5) a hi-hat, etc. In such a system, the aforementioned connection methods can be utilized, and instrument 10 can be connected to hub 20 in the aforementioned manner while hub 20 is already connected to one or more other instruments 10. The ratio of instruments to hubs is arbitrary, and in many cases, the number of hubs is less than the number of instruments, and in more specific embodiments, multiple instruments are connected to one hub.

[0082] A plurality of electronic devices that transmit signals from a respective plurality of musical instruments 10 as part of a system can send messages to the same hub 20 at the same frequency. As explained above, since the size and message length of each message are relatively small, the possibility of interference is low. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, each of two or more electronic devices of the system (e.g., electronic devices for different musical instruments of a drum set) can be set with different retransmission times. This allows for a possible shift in retransmission in the event that two messages from respective electronic devices interfere with each other, such as when a drummer activates two or more musical instruments 10 exactly simultaneously. If the retransmission protocols of the musical instruments are set at exactly the same retransmission time, there is a possibility of an interference loop occurring, but shifting the retransmission time increases the likelihood that messages will be sent at different times and will be less likely to interfere with each other. Further, if two or more messages collide, the retransmission protocol described here will cause all messages to be received with a very slight delay and there will be no noticeable change in sound generation.

[0083] Using a single frequency for the transmission of all messages from the various musical instruments of a drum set results in a) a lower likelihood of external interference and b) simplifies the overall system since it is not necessary to use multiple frequencies for each of the various musical instruments 10. In some embodiments, all of the electronic devices of a group of musical instruments such as a drum set use the same frequency. In other embodiments, two or more of the devices 10 within the group of devices use their own respective frequencies. Many different embodiments are possible.

[0084] In one embodiment, all messages transmitted by the various instruments 10 of the drum set to the hub 20 use a first frequency (or a first plurality of frequencies), and all acknowledgment messages transmitted by the hub 20 use a second (different) frequency (or a second plurality of frequencies different from each of the first plurality of frequencies). This suppresses collisions between data / instrument signals (from the instrument electronics) and acknowledgment signals (from the hub). Generally speaking, this results in lower message failure than embodiments where the data signal and the acknowledgment signal use the same frequency, although embodiments with data and acknowledgment signals at the same frequency are also possible.

[0085] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the hub 20 and the musical instrument 10 utilize a plurality of channels, where a "channel" is defined as a pair of frequencies in which one transmission direction (e.g., the connection from the musical instrument to the hub such as a musical instrument signal) occurs on a first frequency and the other transmission direction (e.g., between the hub and the musical instrument such as an ACK signal) occurs on a second frequency. In one embodiment using the channel method, any number of channels can be used. The larger the number of channels, the better the versatility for finding available frequencies and avoiding interference. However, when the number of channels is small, the number of channels that need to be scanned during some channel scan actions is reduced, enabling simplification and power savings. In some embodiments, 2 to 10 channels, 3 to 6 channels, or 4 channels are used, but these are examples and any number of channels is possible. In some embodiments, all channel frequencies are within a specific range of each other. For example, all channel frequencies are within 250 MHz of each other, or within 100 MHz of each other. As an example, in a 4-channel system, channel 1 can transmit at 2402 MHz and 2423 MHz, channel 2 can transmit at 2426 MHz and 2448 MHz, channel 3 can transmit at 2451 MHz and 2476 MHz, and channel 4 can transmit at 2480 MHz and 2472 MHz. These channel frequencies can all be adjusted such as ±10 MHz, ±5 MHz, ±3 MHz, ±1 MHz, etc. (e.g., the first frequency of channel 1 can be between 2392 MHz and 2412 MHz). This selection of channel spacing can reduce or minimize the amount of interference with conventional WiFi channels 1 (2412 MHz), 6 (2437 MHz), and 11 (2462 MHz). It is also possible that not all of these channels are used, or that a smaller number of channels are used, or that additional channels are used. Hub Message to Instrument

[0086] In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the hub 20 can initiate communication with one or more connected instruments 10. However, in some other embodiments, the hub 20 does not initiate communication with any of the connected electronic instruments 10. For this reason, the hub 20 may need to notify the instrument electronic device 200 that there is a message that needs to be sent. The hub 20 can indicate to the instrument 10 that there is a pending message via a part of the acknowledgment message, such as the header of the acknowledgment message. When receiving such a message, it functions as an instruction for the instrument 10 to transition from the standby mode to the execution mode (described later), enabling the reception of a complete hub message or configuring the instrument 10 itself to receive the hub message (for example, supplying power to the antenna).

[0087] In some embodiments, during the execution mode, a change in settings (for example, configurable settings) can be transmitted from the instrument 10 to the hub 20, or vice versa. For example, the hub 20 receives an instruction from a connected computer to adjust the configurable settings of a specific instrument and can transmit these instructions to the instrument in the manner described above regarding the hub transmitting a "pending message" indicator as part of the ack message. In another embodiment, a firmware update or replacement can be transmitted in this way. Electronic Conversion Unit

[0088] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the electronic device 200 according to the present disclosure. Electronic devices other than those shown in FIG. 2 and specifically described below are also possible.

[0089] One embodiment of the electronic circuit 200 according to the present disclosure may or may not be included on a plurality of circuit boards (such as PCBs) connected via soldering, microstrip, or other means known in the art. The first board 204 (which may be referred to herein as the "primary board") includes all connectors, power supplies, and analog circuits, and the second board 210 (which may be referred to herein as the "module board" or "module") may include one or more microprocessors and wireless circuits. Board-to-board connections can be used to connect two or more boards.

[0090] The terminals 202 of the electronic device 200 may be configured to receive signals from different sensors. For example, the terminal 202a may be wired to receive sensor pulses from a drum head sensor caused by a strike on the drum head, and the terminal 202b may be wired to receive impulses from a sensor configured to detect drum head vibrations. In some other embodiments, different terminals may be designed for different musical instruments 10. For example, the terminals 202a, 202b may be designed for a snare drum, and the terminals 202c, 202d may be configured to connect to a hi-hat or cymbal assembly. In this way, the same electronic device 200 can be used for many different percussion instruments, and in some embodiments, the same type of electronic device can be used for all of the percussion instruments in a drum set. The distinction of the types of musical instruments 10 (for example, associating one electronic device with a snare drum and another electronic device with a bass drum, etc.) can be achieved by firmware. In some embodiments, each terminal can be used for all types of musical instruments 10, although there are differences based on the type of musical instrument implemented via firmware. In this embodiment, the terminal 202 is shown on the primary board 204, but other embodiments are also conceivable.

[0091] The module 210 of the electronic device 200 can include any of the following combinations, with or without additional components. · A transceiver (such as a 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz FSK transceiver); · A core processor with a memory (such as a flash memory) and a RAM (such as an SRAM) (in certain embodiments, 512 kb of flash memory and 128 kb of SRAM, but this is merely exemplary); · An analog-to-digital converter that can be used to measure sensor inputs; · An analog comparator that can be used to detect wake-up operations; · A timer that can be used to determine mode transitions (for example, transition to sleep mode after a predetermined pause time, transition from sleep mode to standby mode after a predetermined time to send a connection request, etc.); · A signal booster; · A shield for protection from interference; · One or more serial peripheral interface (SPI) modules that can be used for communication with a digital potentiometer; · A touch sensing input that can be used for capacitance sensing; and / or · A unique identifier for identifying each electronic device (and related devices), for example, an 80-bit unique identification number for each chip.

[0092] As will be understood by those skilled in the art, other elements may also be included. It is also possible to have fewer elements than those listed above. Furthermore, the elements of the electronic device 200 can be arranged in different ways, such as all being arranged on one board, arranged in different configurations on two boards, arranged on three or more boards, etc. Embodiments of the present disclosure often refer to the electronic device 200, but as will be understood by those skilled in the art in light of the present disclosure, it is also possible to use other types of electronic circuits.

[0093] An electronic device according to the present disclosure can determine how to interpret received sensor pulses by using some or all of the sensor inputs, such as by using firmware incorporated in the processor of the electronic device. This determination can also be made using a mode setting of the electronic device corresponding to the type of musical instrument being played (e.g., snare, tamtam, bass drum, cymbal, hi-hat, or other musical instruments, many of which will be described in detail below). The electronic device determines the magnitude of the impulse received from each sensor for each operation and uses this data (combined with other data such as mode settings in some embodiments) to determine the instrument signal that needs to be transmitted. Diversity of Connections

[0094] Instruments, electronic equipment parts, and electronic equipment according to the present disclosure can utilize the diversity of connections to improve the quality and robustness of wireless connections. As an example, each of the hubs 20 and one or more musical instruments 10 (e.g., the electronic equipment part and / or electronic equipment of a musical instrument, e.g., the electronic equipment 200 described above) can include a plurality of antennas, and it is possible to switch which antenna receives and / or transmits. While a transmitting / receiving antenna is transmitting and receiving a signal, the other antenna can be in a standby state and / or powered off. The plurality of antennas can include the same type of antenna or different types of antennas. In a specific embodiment, each of the hub and one or more musical instruments includes at least one wire antenna and at least one chip antenna, which may be beneficial in that either of these antenna types can exhibit better performance depending on the communication environment. As an example, the electronic equipment 200 can be configured to recognize that the performance is degraded, and / or the performance threshold is low, such as when it does not receive a confirmation signal of a specific number or percentage in response to the transmitted signal. Examples of low performance thresholds include, for example, a failure rate of 0.1%, a failure rate of 0.5%, a failure rate of 1%, a failure rate of 2%, a failure rate of 3%, a failure rate of 5%, a failure rate of 10%, one missing confirmation response, multiple missing confirmation responses, two missing confirmation responses, three missing confirmation responses, five missing confirmation responses, or other failure rates understood by those skilled in the art. Different devices and hubs can all have the same low performance threshold or different low performance thresholds. Furthermore, different antennas within the same musical instrument or hub can all have the same low performance threshold or different low performance thresholds.

[0095] When the low performance threshold is reached, the musical instrument 10 or hub 20 according to the present disclosure can be configured to change the operating antenna (e.g., via respective electronic modules and / or electronic modules), such as from a chip antenna to a wire antenna, or vice versa. In some embodiments, the musical instrument 10 or hub 20 can be configured to send a signal to a corresponding electronic device (e.g., the electronic device of the musical instrument sends a change signal to the electronic device of the hub) to change which antenna operates, such as via its original antenna or the antenna that the device / hub changes. The change signal can be a unique signal or embedded within another signal. The change signal may be on a retransmission protocol such as retransmitting until an acknowledgement response is received from another electronic device and / or until a signal is sent from another electronic device to confirm that another musical instrument 10 or hub 20 has received the message and / or changed the antenna.

[0096] The musical instrument 10 or hub 20 can stay on the second antenna for a set period, indefinitely, until the performance of the new antenna becomes worse than that of the previous antenna, and / or until the new antenna is used to pass the low threshold of the old antenna, until another (or the same) low performance threshold is reached using the new antenna. In one particular embodiment, the musical instrument 10 changes the antenna each time an acknowledgement response is lost. Other embodiments are possible. In some embodiments, the musical instrument 10 can recognize that the low performance threshold has been reached (such as by the methods described above) and can send a change signal as described above during the execution mode and / or during performance by the user.

[0097] The hub according to the present disclosure can utilize different antennas for different devices. For example, the hub and all the devices connected to the hub each use their respective first antennas (such as chip antennas). When fewer devices than all the connected devices reach a low performance threshold, the electronic devices 200 of those instruments can send a change signal to change to their respective second antennas (such as wire antennas) for the signals between the hub and those specific instruments, while the hub and other instruments continue to use their respective first antennas. In another embodiment, a change signal from one system component can command a change in all system components or a plurality of other system components. As an example, in one embodiment, when the hub electronics reach a low performance threshold with one instrument, a change signal can be sent to all instruments. In a second embodiment, when the hub electronics reach a low performance threshold for fewer instruments than all instruments, a change signal can be sent only to the instruments with low performance. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the hub determines which of the connected instruments are functioning more appropriately and uses their antennas.

[0098] The above has been described with respect to two antenna systems, but it is understood that the same concept can also be applied to antenna systems with three or more antennas.

[0099] The wireless connection devices, systems, and methods described above can be applied to any of the devices, systems, and methods described throughout the present disclosure, as well as to other known devices, systems, and methods. Compatibility

[0100] The musical instrument 10 (such as a percussion instrument) according to the present disclosure can have replaceable and / or removable parts so that it can be used as an electronic musical instrument or an acoustic musical instrument (acoustic instrument). For example, the percussion instrument 10 can have a relatively quiet drum head or a set of drum heads (or other striking surfaces), such as a drum head made of mesh, PET, polyester, or rubber (or other materials known in the art as traditionally used with electronic drums), for use when the drums are in the electronic mode and / or when electronic equipment is present. Also, it may have a drum head or a set of drum heads made of conventional acoustic materials such as mylar and plastic, or other materials known in the art, for use when the drums are in the acoustic mode and / or when no electronic components are arranged. It should be understood that the above material list is essentially exemplary and not limiting. For example, in some cases, depending on the user's selection, the materials described above as typical electronic materials can be used as acoustic materials, and vice versa. These concepts can be applied, for example, to snare drums, tom-toms, bass drums, congas, bongos, timbales, timpani / kettledrums, cymbals, hi-hats, and other musical instruments understood by those skilled in the art.

[0101] The electronic device described herein can also be used with a conventional drum head, in which case it is understood that the sound generated by operation is a combination of a conventional acoustic sound and an electronic sound. Further, the electronic device unit may be present at a predetermined position and / or attached to the drum and may be inactive, such that when a conventional drum head is used, an acoustic sound is generated without an electronic sound. The electronic device unit can be mechanically designed so as not to interfere with the acoustic sound as much as possible when the electronic device unit is "off". For example, the electronic components of a snare drum such as the snare drum 300 (details will be described later) can be made to contact less than 20%, less than 10%, less than 5%, less than 2.5%, less than 1%, or less than that of the inner wall region of the drum shell. In some embodiments, the contact with the inner wall region of the drum shell can be substantially symmetric with respect to the radius of the drum shell. Example of Drum

[0102] The following are specific embodiments of a drum incorporating the elements and concepts of the present disclosure. However, the elements and concepts described for each example are not particularly limited to that type of device. For example, the electronic device unit 500 described with respect to the snare drum 300 can be used in other devices such as the bass drum 600, and the damping concept described with respect to the bass drum 600 can be used in other types of drums such as the snare drum 300, etc. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, many different embodiments are possible. Example 1: Snare Drum

[0103] Figure 3 shows a snare drum 300 (with the top drum head removed for observation) that can incorporate the wireless technology, electronic device, and / or compatibility concepts described above. The drum 300 includes a trigger platform 302. The trigger platform 302 can include a plurality of arms 304 or another type of support structure, as well as electronic components, electronic modules, and / or a trigger box 500 (shown separately in FIGS. 5A-5F and hereinafter referred to simply as the "electronic device section" for simplicity).

[0104] The electronic device section 500 may be located under the top drum head and / or approximately at the center of the drum 300, and / or may be connected to the drum body by other components such as arms 304 and / or brackets 320 (which will be described in more detail below). The electronic device section 500 can include a plurality of connection holes 508 (some of which are not used in FIG. 3) so as to be able to accommodate various different shell and / or lug configurations. The components such as the trigger platform 302, as well as the arms 304 and the body of the electronic device section 500, can be made of the same material or a number of materials such as plastic, metal (e.g., aluminum), wood, and / or other materials known in the art, but are not limited thereto.

[0105] The drum 300 can include brackets 320. The brackets 320 can be attached to the inner wall of the drum 300. Each bracket 320 can be connected to one of the arms 304 of the trigger platform 302, such as by using drum screws 306 and / or other connectors as shown. The brackets 320 can have an adjustable height relative to the inner wall of the drum 300, thereby enabling the drum 300 to be adapted to different components. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, when the screw 322 is loosened, the bracket 320 can be moved up and down before the screw 322 is repositioned through the height opening 324.

[0106] In FIG. 3, a relatively quiet drum head (e.g., a PET drum head) can be placed on the drum 300 as shown, and the drum 300 can be in an electronic mode. Alternatively, the user can remove the screw of the connector 306, pull out the trigger platform 302 from the inside of the drum, and remove the trigger platform 302 by connecting an acoustic drum head (e.g., a mylar and / or plastic drum head) to the side wall of the drum 300. The drum 300 can include all the components of a conventional drum, such as a drum lug, a tension screw, etc., so that it operates completely as a conventional drum when a conventional drum head is attached. The acoustic drum head can be used together with electronic components and / or also when the drum 300 is in an electronic mode.

[0107] In some embodiments, instead of or in addition to the arm 304, a support structure such as a circular support structure (e.g., a plate or a disk) can be used (e.g., as part of a trigger tray), which can be connected to other components such as the inner drum shell wall and / or the bracket 320. For example, FIGS. 4A and 4B (having the same reference numbers used for substantially equivalent or equivalent structures) show a drum 400 including a support structure 412 that can be circular and operate in a manner similar to the arm 304 from the drum 300. The support structure 412 can include an arm 414 and an outer ring 416, which can enhance stability as well as ease of attachment and removal. Instead of individual arms 304 connecting to the bracket 320, a single support structure 412 / outer ring 416 connects to a plurality of brackets 320. Other support structure designs are possible, including but not limited to a solid circular support structure.

[0108] The above concept of compatibility has been described with respect to the snare drums 300, 400, but it can also be applied to other musical instruments such as tom-toms and bass drums (such as the bass drum 600 shown in FIGS. 6A - 6C described below). Electronic Equipment Unit

[0109] Figures 5A through 5F show various views of the electronic device unit 500. The electronic device unit 500 is used to receive signals from one or more sensors and relay those signals to a hub. The electronic device unit 500 can include the same or identical electronic devices as the electronic device 200 (FIG. 2) and can be used to achieve the blocks described above with respect to FIGS. 1A - 2B and / or the wireless connection portions of the present disclosure.

[0110] The wireless format of the present disclosure also has distinct advantages over prior art wireless devices such as wireless microphones. A system such as system 300 can be powered by a local and / or self - contained power source (although other embodiments are possible). For example, the system can be powered by a battery 504 that can be removable / swappable. In the illustrated embodiment, the battery 504 can be included within the electronic device unit 500, such as within the body or housing 502 of the electronic device unit 500. The electronic device 200 can be located near and / or in the same position as the battery 504, such as within the body 502 of the electronic device, to enable a simple power supply for the electronic device 200.

[0111] The musical instruments, electronic devices, and electronic device units (e.g., electronic device unit 500) according to the present disclosure can be configured to operate using the musical instrument power mode described above, thereby significantly reducing power consumption. This is in contrast to prior art methods used by typical wireless microphones that transmit continuous signals and thus require continuous power usage (instead of transmitting discrete signals as in aspects of the present disclosure). Further, continuous signals such as those used by prior art wireless microphones are susceptible to interference.

[0112] In this and other embodiments of the present disclosure, it is also possible to use power sources other than the battery 504, including but not limited to energy harvesting power sources such as using ambient background energy. Any type of power source can be used, including but not limited to photovoltaic, piezoelectric, solar, electrostatic, magnetic, thermoelectric, solar, pyroelectric, energy harvesting (e.g., using ambient background energy, kinetic energy, etc.). This type of power supply is enabled and / or enhanced at least in part by the relatively low power requirements due to the discrete power usage described above (e.g., as opposed to the continuous power usage of a wireless microphone). Generally, locally attached power sources such as batteries are beneficial in that they eliminate the need for a wired connection. However, it is also possible to use a wired power connection (even if the signals from the operation are transmitted wirelessly). Any type of power can be used.

[0113] The electronic device part of the device according to the present disclosure, including but not limited to the electronic device part 500, can receive updates electronically and wirelessly so as not to need to be connected to another device via a wire. Furthermore, it should be understood that musical instruments, electronic device parts, and electronic devices (including but not limited to the electronic device part 500) according to the present disclosure may include connection and / or antenna diversity components and methods described elsewhere in the present disclosure. Trigger Sensor

[0114] In the specific embodiment of FIG. 3 shown, a single first sensor (or “trigger”) 530 is shown as part of sensor configuration 560, an example of which is discussed later with respect to FIG. 5G. The first sensor 530 can be, for example, a piezoelectric sensor or other types of sensors known in the art. The first sensor 530 can be used to detect when and how the drum 300 (or other drum to which the sensor is connected) is struck, including, for example, how hard the drum 300 is struck and / or detecting different zones and ways of striking. The trigger may be in physical contact with the underside of the top drum head or connected in other ways. For example, the top of the electronics unit 500 as shown may be or include a trigger 530 that can abut against the bottom of the top drum head, and the electronics unit may be connected to a trigger 530 attached to the bottom of the top drum head via, for example, one or more wires. In one embodiment, the piezoelectric element may be under a foam element 594 (such as polyurethane and / or PORON foam), and may be separated from a force sensing (“FS”) sensor 592 (described in more detail below) by an intervening element such as a foam element (such as polyurethane and / or PORON foam). The trigger 530 can be used primarily to sense when and how the user operates the top drum head using a drum stick.

[0115] In some embodiments, a plurality of triggers (e.g., trigger 530) can be used. For example, in one embodiment, one central trigger 530 (which may be at the center of the drum) can be surrounded by two, three, four, or more than five secondary triggers that may be equidistant from the central trigger 530. The secondary triggers can be arranged radially around the central trigger 530. In one embodiment, they are at approximately half the position from the central trigger 530 to the drum shell. In another embodiment, they are at approximately half or more of the position from the central trigger 530 to the shell. In another embodiment, they are at less than half of the position from the central trigger 530 to the shell. Further, embodiments without the central trigger 530 are possible. For example, two (or three, four, or more than five) triggers centered on the drum head, such as radially arranged triggers, can be used. The triggers can be used to detect the force of the impact and / or to detect its position (e.g., via triangulation or other methods known in the art). These secondary sensors / triggers can be connected to the electronics unit 500, for example, via wires, wirelessly, or in a manner understood by those skilled in the art. The secondary sensors / triggers can be piezoelectric sensors or other sensors known in the art. In a particular embodiment, the secondary sensor / triggers are attached to a support structure 412 such as an arm 414, but other arrangements are possible.

[0116] Adding a second trigger in addition to the first trigger helps prevent "hot spots" where more volume is produced when the drum head is struck near a single trigger, and also helps sense where the drum head is struck (i.e., in which "zone" the drum head is hit). Similarly, a third trigger can suppress hot spots in embodiments with two triggers and the like. Finally, it is advantageous for the placement of the sensors to be symmetric with respect to the center of the drum head, although an asymmetric placement is also possible. Some specifically contemplated embodiments include: 1) a form including a central trigger and two other triggers on opposite sides in the diametrical direction of the central trigger; 2) a form of a central trigger having three other triggers that substantially form a triangle around the central trigger; 3) the formation of a triangle by secondary triggers (regardless of the presence or absence of a central trigger); 4) a square or rhombus configuration of secondary triggers (regardless of the presence or absence of a central trigger). Many different embodiments are possible.

[0117] The central trigger 530 and the additional sensors do not act independently, but can be connected in parallel with each other. In other embodiments, the central trigger 530 is independent and two or more side sensors are connected in parallel with each other. In the case of sensors connected in parallel, the mean / average of the detected values can be used, which also helps in reducing hot spots. In other embodiments, the triggers are not connected in series or parallel with each other, but instead operate independently.

[0118] A number of different types of triggers and / or trigger materials can be used. For example, some alternative trigger materials that can be used in embodiments of the present disclosure include force sensitive sensors such as force sensitive resistor ("FSR") sensors, smart fabrics, and other materials. Vibration Sensor

[0119] The electronic device unit 500 can include a first sensor 530 and one or more additional sensors beyond one or more secondary drum head triggers. For example, a second sensor (or group of sensors), such as a sensor included within the body or housing 502 of the electronic device unit 500 and / or at the base of the body or housing 502, can be included as part of the electronic device unit 500. The second sensor can be used for various purposes. In the illustrated embodiment, the first sensor 530 is used to detect an impact on the drum head, and the second sensor detects vibrations of the drum shell. The second sensor can be mechanically coupled to the drum shell for this purpose via components of the trigger tray (e.g., arm 304, support structure 412). In this and other embodiments, the second sensor can be used to detect, for example, rim shots and / or cross sticks where the user causes vibrations of the rim. Other sensor positions for sensing vibrations and / or rim strikes are possible. The vibration sensor can be a piezoelectric sensor or other types of sensors known in the art. In one embodiment, the vibration sensor is included within and / or as part of the electronic device unit 500, but many different embodiments and positions are possible. Pressure Sensor

[0120] Sensing can also be used to recognize the presence of pressure on the top drum head, such as the presence of the user's hand on the top drum head. For example, a force sensing sensor (referred to herein as a "FS sensor") (e.g., a force sensing resistor ("FSR") sensor) can be utilized for this purpose. One or more FS sensors can be disposed on the top drum head, such as at the bottom of the top drum head, and can be used to sense when the user applies pressure to the upper surface of the drum head. By user actuation, an electronic device (such as the electronic device 200 described above) can recognize the signal transmitted by the FS sensor and indicate whether pressure has been applied to the top drum head (and in some cases its intensity) (by the user's hand or the like). Next, the electronic device (e.g., electronic device 200) can adjust the signal generated based on the input from the FS sensor to generate a different sound than when no pressure is sensed. These embodiments are described herein with respect to FS sensors, but other types of sensors that measure force, displacement, and / or pressure can also be used.

[0121] FIG. 5F shows an example of an electronic device unit 500 using FS technology. The electronic device unit 500 can include a FS sensor 592 that is in proximity to a part, inside, below, near, and / or in other ways to a trigger 530. However, other embodiments are possible that have a FS sensor 592 that is not in proximity to the trigger 530, such as when the FS sensor is disposed directly at the bottom of the drum head. In the specific illustrated embodiment, the FS sensor 592 is a FSR sensor, and it is understood that in all cases of this disclosure where the phrase "FS sensor" is used, such a sensor can be a FSR sensor.

[0122] In the illustrated specific embodiments, the FS sensor 592 can be in many different positions, such as under one or more foam components 594 of the electronic device unit 500, between foam pieces, or at the base on top of the lid of the electronic device unit 500 and / or under the foam components. When the user places a hand on the top drum head, the top of the electronic device unit 500 is pushed down and the FS sensor 592 is activated. The pressure of the user's hand (or other similarly applied pressure) is typically greater than, for example, the pressure used to strike the drum head using a drum stick. Therefore, the sensing of the FS sensor can determine whether the user's hand is on the drum head and can transmit a message and / or impulse accordingly, and the electronic components can utilize this input to adjust the generated sound accordingly. For example, in one embodiment, the FS sensor is used to distinguish when the user is playing a cross stick (a drumming technique where the user strikes the rim of the drum with a drum stick while applying pressure to the drum head) from when the user is playing a rim shot (a drumming technique where the user strikes both the head and the rim with a drum stick). Differentiation of the signals can be used by electronic components such as the electronic device 200 to determine the type of sound to be generated (e.g., cross stick sound vs rim shot sound). It should be understood that many other different uses and positions of the FS sensor according to the present disclosure are possible and that pressure sensors other than FS / FSR sensors can be used. Exemplary Sensor Arrangement

[0123] As described above, the electronic device unit can include a sensor arrangement 560. An exploded view of an exemplary sensor arrangement 560 is shown in FIG. 5G. The sensor arrangement 560 includes, for example, a first and / or top separator 562, a sensing element 564 (e.g., a piezoelectric element) of the sensor 530 described above, a second separator 566 under the first separator 562 and the sensing element 564, and a sensing element 568 (e.g., a force sensing element) of the sensor 592. It should be understood that additional elements are possible and elements can be omitted.

[0124] The separator element can be made of materials known in the art for transmitting force (e.g., force due to drum impact or pressure) while minimizing damage to sensitive elements such as sensing elements 564, 568. For example, one or both of the separators 562, 566 can be made of a foam such as PORON foam and / or polyurethane foam. The separator may be a separator having a plurality of parts such as separator 562 including an internal part 562a and an external part 562b, and these parts may be of the same material or different materials. For example, in one embodiment, the internal part 562a is PORON foam and the external part 562b is polyurethane foam. The sensing element 564 may be a piezoelectric element such as a piezoelectric element of 10 - 40 mm, but it is understood that different sizes can also be used. The sensing element 568 may be a force sensing element such as an FSR. One exemplary FSR is the TPE - 510B FSR available from Tangio, but different force sensing elements can be used as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0125] The sensor arrangement 560 or a modified version thereof can also be used for the aforementioned secondary trigger disposed between the central trigger 530 and the drum shell. For example, one embodiment of the secondary trigger according to the present disclosure is the same as the sensor arrangement 560 except that the sensing element 564 is omitted. Electronic Slow Off and Snare Tension Adjustment

[0126] Conventional acoustic snare drums often include a "snare off" such as the snare off 380 shown in FIG. 3. Some conventional snare offs are described, for example, in U.S. Patent No. 5,616,875 by Lombardi and U.S. Patent No. 7,902,444 by Good et al., each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Typically, a snare drum includes a series of hard wires (i.e., a "snare" with "snare wires") fixed to the bottom drum head. These wires produce the characteristic "snare" sound when the drum is struck. The snare is held against the bottom drum head by tension when the snare off (e.g., a snare off lever) is in a first position (typically an upper position), and can be removed from the bottom head by placing the snare off in a second position (typically a lower position). Thus, when the snare off is in the second position, the snare drum produces a different sound than when the snare off is in the first position.

[0127] In some embodiments of the snare drum according to the present disclosure, a sensor can be included to sense the position of the snare off 380. In one specific embodiment, the sensor notifies an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device unit 500 and / or an electronic device) that the snare off is physically in (e.g., using an electronic switch), and the electronic device adjusts the generated signal based on its position. For example, if the snare off is detected to be in the "upward" position such that the snare of an acoustic drum is held against the bottom head, the signal generated during operation of the drum produces the normal sound of the snare drum. On the other hand, if the snare off is detected to be in the "downward" position, the signal generated during operation produces a sound more typical of a tom. The sensor can be, for example, a switch, a potentiometer, a proximity sensor, or any other variable sensor or switched sensor capable of determining a physical position.

[0128] In addition, when the snare is in contact with the bottom head, a tension adjuster such as a lever or a joystick can be used to finely adjust the amount of contact and thus finely adjust the sound produced by the snare drum. Some such devices and methods are described in U.S. Patent No. 8,143,507 to Good, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Movement of the lever or joystick may also remove the snare from the bottom head, resulting in the same sound as when the snare off is in the "off" position. Similar to the snare off, one or more of the above sensors can be used in combination with a tension adjuster to sense its position and adjust the signal generated during operation to reflect the position of the tension adjuster.

[0129] The above has described switched embodiments, but embodiments of a continuous control device (which senses actual position rather than "on" and "off") are also possible and contemplated in embodiments of the present disclosure. Using such sensors, for example, it is possible to determine how strongly the snare is held against the bottom drum head, thereby creating a distinction in the sound produced. Interpretation of Sensor and Determination of Instrument Signal

[0130] As described above, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic device according to the present disclosure determines the magnitude of the impulse received from each sensor for each operation, and uses this data (in some embodiments, in combination with other data such as mode settings) to determine the instrument signal that needs to be transmitted for each operation. For example, in the case of a snare drum, the electronic device of the instrument can determine whether the head sensor (e.g., the central sensor 530 and any secondary sensors) is dominant. If it is dominant, a signal corresponding to the strike on the head is transmitted. If the impulse from the vibration sensor is dominant, the electronic device can transmit a signal corresponding to a rim strike (where the drummer strikes the rim). If the impulses from both the head sensor and the vibration sensor are of sufficient magnitude, the electronic device can transmit a signal corresponding to a rim shot (when the drummer strikes both the head and the rim). If the impulse from the pressure sensor 592 is of sufficient magnitude (e.g., when the user applies sufficient pressure or displaces the drum head sufficiently), the electronic device can transmit a signal corresponding to a cross stick. The above signals can also be shifted based on the signal from the slo-off sensor, indicating the position of the slo-off and whether it is necessary to add a snare sound. Therefore, in embodiments using a switch for the slo-off sensor, either the first set of signals or the second set of signals will be used based on whether the slo-off is in the engaged position or the disengaged position.

[0131] These same interpretation methods can also be applied to the respective sensors of the following musical instruments, regardless of whether the same sensors, fewer sensors, more sensors, or different sensors are included in those sensor arrangements. For example, the interpretation of a tom-tom sensor may be the same as that of a snare sensor, except that there is no off-sensor portion. The interpretation of a bass drum may be the same as that of a snare sensor, except that there is no off-sensor portion and no side sensor portion. The interpretation of a cymbal sensor may depend on sensor impulses from the bell, bow, and edge sensors. The interpretation of a hi-hat sensor may be the same as that of a cymbal sensor, but also uses sensor impulses based on the distance between the upper and lower cymbals. Example 2: TomTom

[0132] The tom-tom drum is very similar mechanically to the snare drum, but does not include a snare or associated components (such as an off and snare adjustment lever). Thus, a tom-tom drum according to the present disclosure can include any of the trigger sensors, vibration sensors, and / or pressure sensors described above with respect to the snare drum. The above-described concepts and components with respect to the snare drum can be applied to a tom-tom drum (or similar) as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. Example 3: Bass Drum

[0133] Figures 6A through 6C show a drum 600, in this particular case a bass drum, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The drum 600 can include many components similar and / or identical to the drum 300 of FIG. 3.

[0134] The drum 600 can include a trigger platform 602 that can include an arm 604 and an electronics section 608. The electronics section 608 may be centered or may be offset from the center as shown, for example, horizontally centered but below the vertical midpoint of the rear drum head, closer to where a drum beater typically strikes a rear drum head (element 640 in FIG. 4, not shown in FIGS. 2 and 3). Other locations are possible. The electronics section 608 may include or be connected to one or more sensors, and may contact or be connected to the inside of the rear drum head, as described for the electronics section 500. In some embodiments, the electronics section 608 is the same as or similar to the electronics 500 and / or includes the same sensors (e.g., one drum head piezoelectric sensor, one vibration piezoelectric sensor, and one pressure sensor such as an FS sensor).

[0135] The drum 600 can also include a bracket 620, and the arm 604 and the bracket 620 are similar to the arm 304 and the bracket 320 and / or can be connected in a similar or identical manner. The arm 604 (and the arm 304 in FIG. 3) is pivotable relative to the substrate 630 and / or the electronics section 608, and in some embodiments, the arm 604 can have an adjustable length. One or both of these features can be used to adjust the position of the electronics section 608 and / or the substrate 630 relative to the body and / or the drum shell of the drum 600. Additionally, the trigger platform 602 can include a substrate 630 to which the electronics section 608 is attached. The substrate 630 is, for example, disk-shaped. In this case, the substrate 630 is a circular wooden disk. The arm 604 can be connected to the substrate 630 or, in some embodiments (such as embodiments where no substrate is used), can be connected to the electronics section 608. Similar to the support structure 412 in FIGS. 4A and 4B, in alternative embodiments, a support structure having an outer ring (similar to the outer ring 416) can be used.

[0136] The trigger platform 602 can include a dampener 632 designed to be adjacent to the surface of the rear drum head. In embodiments where the substrate 630 is present, the dampener may be between the substrate 630 and the rear drum head such that the substrate 630 supports the dampener 632 (some embodiments include the dampener but not the substrate). In some embodiments, the dampener 632 can be directly adjacent to the substrate and / or the rear drum head. The dampener can be, for example, foam, rubber, and / or other materials known in the art, and can be one integrated piece (shown) or multiple pieces. The dampener can be attached to the substrate 630 by methods known in the art, such as using posts, male / female fittings, fasteners, and / or adhesives, and many different embodiments are possible. The dampener 632 can cover and / or contact 5% or more, 10% or more, 25% or more, 33% or more, 50% or more, 66% or more, 75% or more, 90% or more, or more than the inner surface of the rear drum head. The dampener 632 can have an area of 5% or more, 10% or more, 25% or more, 33% or more, 50% or more, 66% or more, 75% or more, 90% or more, or more than the area of the rear drum head region. The damper 632 can be substantially circular as shown in the figure. The dampener 632 can be substantially circular as shown in FIGS. 6A - 6C and / or can have a radius of 5% or more, 10% or more, 25% or more, 33% or more, 50% or more, 66% or more, 75% or more, 90% or more, or more than the radius of the rear drum head.In some embodiments, the damper can include a cutout portion 630a, as illustrated, although in some embodiments, the cutout portion is not included. For example, FIG. 6D shows an embodiment of a drum 690 with a damper 692 without a cutout portion.

[0137] The damper 632 can help reduce the acoustic sound generated by the drum 600, for example, reducing the vibration of the rear drum head after the rear drum head is struck by a beater. This applies regardless of whether an electronic drum head (e.g., made of the previously described materials such as PET) or an acoustic drum head is used.

[0138] Remove the entire trigger platform 602 including, but not limited to, the arm 604, the electronics unit 608, the substrate 630, and the damper 632, and provide the user with a conventional drum that can include all of the conventional components (e.g., lugs and tension screws) using an acoustic rear drum head disposed on the drum 600. Similar to the drum 300, the acoustic rear drum head can also be used in combination with the trigger platform 602. The damper can also be used in instruments other than bass drums, such as snare drums 300, other types of drums and / or percussion instruments, or entire other types of musical instruments.

[0139] One or more pressure sensors, such as FS sensors (e.g., FSR sensors), can be used as part of the drum 600. For example, the electronic device unit 608 may be similar to the electronic device unit 500 and can include an FS sensor similar or identical to the FS sensor 592. The FS sensor 592 used with the snare drum 300 is most frequently used to detect whether a user is applying pressure to the top drum head, whereas the FS sensor used with a bass drum, such as the bass drum 600, can detect whether (and to what extent) a user is "burying" the bass drum pedal into the bass drum 600. Burying the bass drum pedal is one technique where a drummer attempts to (or achieves) pressing the beater head against the bass drum instead of rebounding the beater head, thereby reducing resonance. The FS sensor can sense the extent to which a user buries the beater head and adjust the electronically generated sound accordingly.

[0140] In addition, some embodiments of the present disclosure may be a drum head that includes the components described above. For example, an electronic drum head can include electronics (e.g., electronics 200) inside or on its bottom surface, with or without a support structure, and the electronic drum head can be used with various devices. Example of Cymbal Instrument

[0141] The following are specific embodiments of percussion instruments incorporating the elements and concepts of the present disclosure, and these percussion instruments include one or more cymbals. However, the elements and concepts described for each example are not particularly limited to that type of device. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, many different embodiments are possible. Example 4: Cymbal Assembly

[0142] Figures 7A through 7F illustrate various views of a cymbal assembly 700 according to the present disclosure. As best shown in FIG. 7D, the cymbal assembly 700 can include a striking portion 702, a secondary bell 704, and an electronics section 750, which includes an electronic circuit module 752 and a sensor module 754, and in the illustrated embodiment, circumscribes the electronic circuit module 752. Embodiments that do not include certain ones of these components are possible. For example, in some embodiments, the secondary bell 704 may be absent, and in some embodiments, the electronics section can include only the electronic module 752, etc. Other conventional components of a cymbal stand, such as a cymbal stand rod, can also be included. Many different embodiments are possible. The electronics section 750 can be removed from the cymbal stand rod, such as by removing fasteners.

[0143] The secondary bell 704 may be on top of the striking portion 702, while the electronics section 750 is below the striking portion 702. The electronics section 750 (including one or both of the electronic device module 752 and the sensor module 754), the striking portion 702, and the secondary bell 704 can each be shaped to define an axial hole through which a stand rod (e.g., a cymbal stand rod) can pass, and each of these components is attached to the stand and is similar to a conventional acoustic cymbal stand assembly.

[0144] In some embodiments, the striking portion 702 and / or the electronic device portion 750 have a circular cross-section and / or are disc-shaped. The electronic device portion 750 can have the same radius, area, and / or cross-sectional size as the striking portion 702, or can have a smaller radius, area, and / or cross-sectional size as in the illustrated embodiment, which helps to hide the electronic device portion 750 from view. The electronic device portion 750 can be smaller than the bottom area of the striking portion 702, but can have an area that is 25% or more, 33% or more, 50% or more, 66% or more, 75% or more, 90% or more, or more than that of the bottom area of the striking portion 702. The electronic device portion 750 can be substantially circular and can have a radius that is less than 100% of the radius of the striking portion 702, but can have a radius that is 25% or more, 33% or more, 50% or more, 66% or more, 75% or more, 90% or more, or more than that. The outer edge of the electronic device portion 750 can be offset inward from the edge of the striking portion 702 by a distance of 3 inches or less, 2.5 inches or less, 2 inches or less, 1.5 inches or less, 1 inch or less, 3 / 4 inch or less, 1 / 2 inch or less, 1 / 4 inch or less, or less, and / or by a distance of 1 / 32 inch to 2 inches, 1 / 16 inch to 1.5 inches, 1 / 16 inch to 1 inch, 1 / 8 inch to 1 inch, 1 / 8 inch to 3 / 4 inch, or 1 / 8 inch to 1 / 2 inch, and / or by a distance of 1 / 32 inch or more, 1 / 16 inch or more, 1 / 8 inch or more, 1 / 4 inch or more, 1 / 2 inch or more, 3 / 4 inch or more, 1 inch or more, 1.5 inches or more, 2 inches or more, or more. Combinations of these ranges are possible, and offsets outside of these ranges are also possible.

[0145] In some embodiments, the striking portion 702 is a conventional cymbal and can be made of a metal such as a copper alloy (e.g., bell bronze, malleable bronze, brass, nickel silver). In some other embodiments, the striking portion 702 is made of and / or configured with a material that reduces sound during operation, such as plastic, Mylar, PET, rubber, and / or other materials known in the art or already described herein. The electronic device portion 750 can be made of various materials known in the art, such as plastic and / or metal. Many different materials are possible.

[0146] The cymbal assembly 700 can include one or more sensors for recognizing user actuation. Conventional cymbals produce different sounds depending on the striking location: the bell (the raised central portion), the bow (the body of the cymbal, extending outward from below the bell), and the edge. The bell, bow, and edge of the striking portion 702 are shown in FIGS. 7C and 7D as elements 702a, 702b, and 702c, respectively. In the specific illustrated embodiment, the cymbal assembly 700 includes three sensor groups, and each sensor group can include one or more bell sensors, one or more bow sensors, and one or more edge sensors. Embodiments of the present disclosure can include only one of these sensor groups, any two of these sensor groups, or all three of these sensor groups, and additional sensor groups can also be added. Bell Sensor

[0147] Regarding the bell sensor group, one or more sensors (e.g., piezoelectric sensors) can be arranged below the secondary bell 704 or at other locations understandable to those skilled in the art (e.g., on top of the bell 702a). The sensor can be arranged below the secondary bell 704 through the mounting opening of the striking part 702 such as the mounting opening 702a. For each sensor to be mounted, the mounting opening 702a can be included. Any number of sensors can be mounted, such as one bell sensor, two bell sensors, three bell sensors, or more than three bell sensors. The use of the mounting opening 702a can help prevent short - circuit of the sensor by enabling a mounting mechanism such as adhering the outlet when the sensor is arranged through the mounting opening 702a and pressed against the lower side of the secondary bell 704.

[0148] Using the secondary bell 704 instead of the bell of the striking part 702 can be beneficial in that it can reduce the acoustic resonance of the striking part 702. The area of the secondary bell 704 can be 50% or less, 25% or less, 20% or less, 15% or less, 10% or less, or even smaller than the area of the striking part 702. The secondary bell 704 can be separated from the striking part 702 through one or more separators 706 such as rubber separators or washers to reduce and / or prevent the contact with the secondary bell 704 from being transmitted to the striking part 702. However, in other configurations, the bell of the striking part 702 can also be used. In such a configuration, a sensor for recognizing the bell strike can be included as part of the electronic device unit 750. Bow Sensor

[0149] One or more bow sensors can be included as part of the electronic device unit 750, such as on the sensor module 754. For example, in the specific illustrated embodiment, three sensors can be included at position 754a. These sensors can be used to recognize the operation on the bow of the cymbal assembly 700. The bow sensor can be a piezoelectric sensor or other sensors as understood by those skilled in the art. Any number of sensors can be used, and it is understood that two or more (e.g., three) sensors are beneficial for reducing hot spots.

[0150] When at rest, the striking part 702 and the electronic device unit 750 can be separated by a relatively short distance, such as less than 1 inch, less than 3 / 4 inch, less than 1 / 2 inch, less than 1 / 4 inch, or less than that. This separation can be achieved using a separator such as an O-ring, and the O-ring can be disposed in an upper channel of the electronic device unit, such as the upper channel 760 of the sensor module 754. In other embodiments, the striking part 702 and the electronic device unit 750 may be in direct contact.

[0151] In some embodiments, a dampening material is included between the electronic device unit 750 and the striking part 702 to reduce the acoustic sound generated by the operation of the striking part 702. The dampening material can be included, for example, on the upper surface of the sensor module 754 and / or throughout the electronic device unit 750. The dampening material can cover, in other embodiments which are also possible, 25% or more, 50% or more, 75% or more, 85% or more, 90% or more, or more than that of the area below the striking part 702. The dampening material can be, for example, foam, rubber, and / or any other material that can reduce the acoustic sound generated by the operation of the striking part 702, as understood by those skilled in the art.

[0152] In some embodiments, the sensor is not covered by and / or does not stick through the damping material on top of the sensor module 754, such as in embodiments where the damping material of the sensor area includes notches. In other embodiments, the damping material functions as a mechanical link between the sensor and the underside of the striking portion 702. In other embodiments, the sensor is not covered by the damping material and / or is attached through the damping material and is mechanically coupled to the underside of the striking portion 702 in another way, via one or more mechanical posts that can be formed of, for example, rubber or other materials, as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. In other embodiments, the sensor may not be in physical contact with the striking portion 702. In other embodiments, the sensor may be in direct physical contact with the striking portion 702. Many different embodiments are possible. Edge Sensor

[0153] The cymbal assembly 700 can also include one or more edge sensors. The edge sensors can be disposed around the edge of the electronics section 750, such as around the top edge 754b of the sensor module 754. The top edge 754b of the sensor module 754 can include an edge wall at its end, or can terminate simply in a ledge without including a wall. The top edge 754b can be substantially flat in nature and can enable the placement of the edge sensors.

[0154] In one embodiment, a single and / or monolithic edge sensor is used to cover 180° or more, 270° or more, 300° or more, 330° or more, 345° or more, 350° or more, or 355° or more of the top edge 754b. The top edge 754b is substantially flat, but may be slightly frustoconical in shape (like a conventional cymbal), so a small gap between the ends of the edge sensor can be included to make it easier to arrange. Other embodiments are possible, for example, embodiments where a single and / or monolithic edge sensor covers 360° of the top edge 754b, and embodiments where multiple sensors are used to cover 180° or more, 270° or more, 300° or more, 330° or more, 345° or more, 350° or more, or 355° or more, and / or less than 360° of the top edge 754b. In embodiments with multiple sensors, the sensor ends may touch, overlap, or have a gap remaining between them. Many different embodiments are possible.

[0155] In a conventional acoustic cymbal, the vibration of the cymbal can be suppressed by pinching the lower and upper sides of the cymbal with the fingers to "choke" it (i.e., stop or reduce the sound emitted by the cymbal after actuation). The edge sensor can be used to 1) recognize the choke and / or 2) recognize the edge strike. In another embodiment, the edge sensor is used only to recognize the choke, while the above-mentioned bow sensor recognizes the edge strike. Many different embodiments are possible.

[0156] In one embodiment, the edge sensor is an FS sensor (e.g., an FSR sensor), or a plurality of FS sensors if a plurality of edge sensors are included. The user can utilize a conventional choking motion, such as pressing down on the upper side of the striking part 702 and pushing up on the lower side of the electronic device part 750, like that of the sensor module 754. Also, in other ways, the edges of the striking part 702 and the electronic device part 750 can be compressed or moved closer to each other. When the striking part 702 and the sensor module 754 are compressed together, the FS sensor senses the increase in pressure and transmits a corresponding impulse or message (e.g., to an electronic device included in the electronic device module 752, which will be described in more detail below).

[0157] The use of one or more FS sensors for the edge sensor can be particularly useful in that it can function as a continuous controller instead of a switch. While prior art electronic cymbals utilize a switch such that the cymbal is either fully choked or not choked at all, embodiments of a continuous controller, such as the cymbal assembly 700, allow for more control by the user. The user can, for example, gently choke the cymbal assembly 700 (e.g., by squeezing the cymbal more gently), as a drummer does with a conventional acoustic cymbal, to quiet the sound and / or shorten the overall decay time and / or increase the decay rate. However, it is understood that other embodiments are possible, such as embodiments that utilize a switched embodiment or other types of sensors (e.g., piezoelectric edge sensors).

[0158] In contrast to clamping the striking part 702 and the electronic device part 750, other methods of "choking" the cymbal are possible. For example, in one embodiment, the cymbal assembly 700 can sense a particular type of contact from the user, such as a hand touch. In one embodiment, when the user touches both the striking part 702 and the electronic device part 750 with their hand, the circuit is completed. When this circuit is completed, a signal is sent and the cymbal can be "choked". In other embodiments, one or more capacitance sensors can be used to recognize the proximity of the striking part 702 and the electronic device part 750. This recognition can be used by the attached electronic device part to change the signal generated by the musical instrument (e.g., to "choke" the cymbal). Arrangement of Edge Sensor

[0159] Figures 7G and 7H show one embodiment of sensor module 754 including edge sensor 790. Edge sensor 790 can be an FS sensor (e.g., an FSR sensor) and can be a single component extending approximately 360°, although it will be understood that any of the aforementioned sensor configurations can be used (e.g., one or more sensors collectively covering 180° or more, 270° or more, 300° or more, 330° or more, 345° or more, 350° or more, or 355° or more, etc.). Figures 7I and 7J are schematic diagrams showing a part of cymbal arrangement 800 according to the present disclosure, including striking part 702 and sensor module 754. Striking part 702 includes arcuate part 702b and edge part 702c. Edge sensor 790 is incorporated on sensor module 754 and / or under edge part 702c of striking part 702. A gap can occur between edge sensor 790 and the underside of striking part 702. In one embodiment best shown in Figure 7J, spacer 792 can be used to fill the gap between sensor 790 and striking part 702 and / or to mechanically connect sensor 790 and striking part 702. This spacer 792 can be used to transmit force from striking part 702 (e.g., edge part 702c of striking part 702) to sensor 790, for example, when the user holds striking part 702 and sensor module 754 together to "choke" the cymbal or when the user strikes edge part 702c of striking part 702 with a drumstick or the like. The spacer can be made of an elastic material such as rubber, and as will be understood by those skilled in the art, various different materials can be used. In another embodiment, edge sensor 790 can be disposed under edge part 702c of striking part 702 with a gap provided between sensor 790 and sensor module 754, and this gap can be filled with spacer 792 as described above. The spacer can be connected to elements above and / or below it, such as striking part 702 and sensor 790, in the illustrated embodiment. This connection can be an adhesive connection in some embodiments, although other embodiments are also possible.

[0160] The configuration shown in FIG. 7J may, in some cases, suffer from performance problems due to the sensitivity of sensor 790 combined with the manufacturing tolerances of striker 702. For example, these problems may occur even within the standard manufacturing tolerances of the cymbal. In the illustration, lines 802a, 802b represent the position of the striking portion based on manufacturing tolerances. As can be seen, if striker 702 is manufactured to coincide with either of lines 802a, 802b, spacer 792 will likely be ineffective. Combining the high sensitivity of sensor 790 (such as an FSR sensor) with these standard manufacturing tolerances can result in performance issues.

[0161] FIGS. 7K - 7N show diagrams of an alternative cymbal arrangement 850 that includes sensor module 754, sensor 790, and striker 702 (omitted from FIG. 7K). Arrangement 850 also includes a pressurizing member 852 and a spacer 854. Pressurizing member 852 can be used to apply pressure to sensor 790. Pressurizing member 852 can be attached to or linked with module 754 (e.g., a sensor module) by means of protrusion 754b or the like, and can include mechanical connections such as male / female connections, linkage connections, adhesive connections, fastener connections, and other connections understood by those skilled in the art, but other arrangements are possible and not limited to these. Pressurizing member 852 may be essentially circular in shape. In some embodiments, pressurizing member 852 and / or protrusion 754b can cover 180° or more, 270° or more, 300° or more, 330° or more, 345° or more, 350° or more, 355° or more, or 360°. Pressurizing member 852 and / or protrusion 754b may be a single part, or may itself be composed of a plurality of sub - members that are continuous or discontinuous. Pressurizing member 852 is essentially flexible and can be made from many different materials such as rubber, silicon, polymer, plastic, and / or other materials known in the art, although non - flexible and / or rigid embodiments are also understood to be possible. The protrusion 754b or other attachment point between pressurizing member 852 and sensor module 754 can be located inside sensor 790 (i.e., towards the center of the assembly).

[0162] A gap may remain between the upper part of the pressing member 852 and the lower side of the striking part 702. Next, as shown in FIGS. 7M and 7N, the pressing member 852 can be mechanically connected to the lower side of the striking part 702 by a spacer 854. The pressing member 852 can include a portion (e.g., a notch and / or a recess) for accommodating the spacer 854.

[0163] To adjust for the manufacturing tolerance issues described above with respect to FIGS. 7G - 7J, the spacer 854 can be an unhardened and / or uncured material when disposed between the striking portion 702 and the pressing member 852 and / or the sensor module 754. The spacer 854 is then shaped and / or conformed to fill the gap under the striking part 702 and is then cured and / or processed. A variety of materials can be used for the spacer 854, examples of which include plastic, rubber, and / or silicon. The material can be curable (e.g., curable silicone such as one or more curable silicone beads), and / or curable by other means. Other materials, not limited to these, such as sealants, adhesives, epoxies, and other materials known in the art can also be used. These materials can be used alone or in combination with one or more other materials. In some embodiments, the cured and / or processed material has adhesiveness and can adhere to adjacent elements such as the pressing member 852 (or the sensor module 754 in embodiments where such a member is absent) and / or the lower side of the striking part 702. In some embodiments, the cured material is rigid and / or elastic, and in other embodiments, is essentially deformable and / or elastic. The spacer can be essentially circumferential, or can be arranged at various points on the circumference of the sensor 790, for example, two, three, four, eight, or more points (e.g., substantially equidistant points) on the circumference of the sensor 790. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, many different embodiments are possible.

[0164] As can be seen from FIG. 7N, by using the pressing member 852, the total force applied to the sensor 790 can be reduced. This is because a) the bottom of the pressing member 852 includes portions 852a that do not contact the sensor 790 (therefore, part of the force passes through these portions 852a and is directly transmitted to the sensor module 754 and not to the sensor 790), and / or b) the pressing member 852 may contact the sensor module 754 (such as the protrusion 754b) at a hinge point such as the hinge point 754b'. This reduction in force causes the total force applied to the sensor 790 to fall within the operating range of the sensor.

[0165] It is understood that in some embodiments, the pressing member 852 may not be present. For example, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the spacer 854 can replace the spacer 792 in FIGS. 7G through 7J. FIG. 7O shows a part of the cymbal assembly 762 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, including a sensor module 764 that can be part of an electronic component. The cymbal assembly 762 can include the edge sensor 790. The spacer 792 in FIG. 7J can be replaced with the spacer 854.

[0166] Furthermore, spacer 854 can also be used in areas other than the edges of cymbal assemblies such as cymbal assembly 762. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, cymbal assembly 762 includes spacer 874, which is the same as or similar to spacer 854 and can perform a mechanical function and / or an O-ring type function. Spacer 874 can be disposed outside the outer half of sensor module 764 and inside edge sensor 790. Spacer 874 can be included within a depression 766 (such as a cup or channel) of sensor module 764, such as a raised portion 768 of sensor module 764, and this raised portion may be separate or integral with the rest of sensor module 764. Raised portion 767 can function as a support for striker 702 by itself and / or in combination with spacer 874. Placing spacer 874 within depression 766 helps contain the spacer material prior to curing / processing. Similar arrangements including spacer 884, depression 768, and / or raised portion 769 (each the same as or similar to spacer 874, depression 766, and raised portion 767) can be used in the inner portion of sensor module 764, such as the inner half, inner quarter, or inner 10% of sensor module 764, and / or the inner edge of sensor module 764, the arcuate inner edge of striker portion 702, and / or the arcuate and bell-shaped junction of striker portion 702 or in the vicinity thereof (see figure). Similar to spacer 854, spacer 874 and / or spacer 884 are essentially circumferential and / or a plurality of spacers can be arranged radially around sensor module 764. It should also be understood that any individual or combination of these spacer arrangements and related elements can be used in various embodiments of the present disclosure, including, but not limited to, the foregoing embodiments and the embodiments described below with respect to FIG. 7P.

[0167] It should be understood that the concepts of this section are applicable to other types of arrangements, including but not limited to other types of cymbal arrangements such as hi-hats. Further, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, it is understood that the order of the elements can be changed (e.g., sensor 790 may be above element 854). Edge Capacitance

[0168] FIG. 7P shows a cross-sectional view of an alternative cymbal arrangement 870 including a sensor module 754 and a striking part 702. The cymbal arrangement 870 also includes a spacer 874, which is the same as or similar to spacer 854 (e.g., silicon beads that perform an O-ring function) and can perform a mechanical function. Spacer 854 may be closer to the center of cymbal arrangement 870 than the capacitance element described below.

[0169] Instead of (or in addition to in some embodiments) one or more edge sensors described in the foregoing embodiments, cymbal arrangement 870 can use sensing (e.g., capacitance sensing) to determine the position of striking part 702 and use this position to recognize choke and / or edge strikes. To achieve this, cymbal device 870 can include a metallic conductive element 872 such as a metal plate. Conductive element 872 may be substantially flat and / or ring-shaped. For example, it may have the same or similar dimensions as edge sensor 790 described above with respect to FIGS. 7G-7O and / or can be arranged in the same or similar manner.

[0170] One or more sensors, such as a capacitance displacement sensor or an optical sensor, can be used to measure a variable corresponding to the distance between the conductive element 872 and the striking part 702. These variables include, for example, capacitance and distance. The sensor pulse changes, for example, depending on the edge strike, the choke of the cymbal arrangement 870, and / or the distance between the striking part 702 and the conductive element 872. These pulses are used in an electronic device to recognize edge strikes and cymbal chokes. In one embodiment, the electronic device distinguishes between an edge strike and a cymbal choke based on the characteristics of the displacement. For example, an edge strike may cause a displacement that rebounds faster than when the user chokes the cymbal. The sensor can be placed on the sensor module 754, under the striking part 702, between the sensor module 754 and the striking part 702, or at other positions understood by those skilled in the art.

[0171] In some embodiments, multiple sensors (e.g., two sensors, three sensors, four sensors, or five or more sensors) are arranged radially around the cymbal arrangement 870, such as in an equidistant arrangement, to refine the measurements obtained. Mechanical Connection

[0172] Returning to FIG. 7F, FIG. 7F shows a cross-sectional view of the cymbal assembly 700. The components of the cymbal assembly 700 can be held together via one or more connectors / fasteners such as nut and bolt connections. For example, as best shown in FIGS. 7D and 7F, a first connecting piece 770 (hereinafter referred to as a "bolt" for simplicity) can be connected to a second connecting piece 772 (hereinafter referred to as a "nut" for simplicity) through axial holes of other components such as the secondary bell 704, the striking part 702, and the electronic device part 750 (such as the electronic device module 752). To hold the parts firmly together, the axial holes of the parts (e.g., components 704, 702, 750, 752) can be made larger than the typical 1 / 2-inch axial holes of conventional acoustic cymbal assemblies. For example, the axial holes can be 5 / 8 inch or more, 3 / 4 inch or more, 7 / 8 inch or more, about 1 inch or more, 1.25 inches or more, 1.5 inches or more, or larger. However, smaller axial holes are also possible. By including larger axial holes, the use of larger connecting parts such as the bolt 770 becomes possible, which can result in a tighter connection between the components. The nut 772 can be within the opening of the electronic device part 750 and / or the electronic device module 752 when tightened.

[0173] The use of a plurality of pieces of the electronic device part 750 can have distinct advantages over prior art arrangements. For example, by including a relatively small electronic device module 752 in relation to a sensor module 754 that more closely corresponds to the size of the striking part 702, the same electronic device module 752 can be used with various sizes of striking parts and cymbal assemblies, or other devices. This allows the same electronic device module 752 to be used in various different products, thereby improving manufacturing efficiency. However, it is understood that a monolithic / single-piece electronic device portion is also possible.

[0174] The electronic device module 752 can be connected to one or more of the other components of the cymbal assembly 700, such as by removably connecting. For example, as seen in FIG. F, the electronic device module 752 can be connected to the sensor module 754 (removably connected in this particular embodiment) via an interlock or the like. In some cases, this may be a snap connection and / or a male-female connection. In the specific embodiment shown, the electronic device module 752 can be connected to the sensor module 754 via one or more male-female connections 756, the electronic device module 752 includes a male component 756a (most clearly seen in FIG. 8C), and the sensor module 754 includes an accompanying female component, but as will be understood by those skilled in the art, any male-female connection can be used. Other embodiments are possible, but as shown in this embodiment, the connection can be substantially circular in nature. In addition to or instead of the described connections, other types of connections (e.g., the use of fasteners and / or adhesives) are also possible. Electronic Equipment Unit and Electronic Equipment Module

[0175] FIGS. 8A and 8B are diagrams of the electronic device section 750, and FIG. 8C shows the electronic module 752. The electronic module 752 can include an electronic device such as the electronic device 200. The electronic device 200 can be connected to the above-described sensors via a wire connection or the like. The electronic module 752 may include one or more power sources 780 that can be a local power source such as a battery.

[0176] The cymbal assembly 700 is self-powered and transmits wirelessly, so it does not require external connections such as external wiring connections. In conventional electronic cymbal assemblies, wire connections are required. These wire connections prevent the free movement and rotation of the cymbal assembly striking part. Such movement / rotation causes external wires extending from the foot pedal to the cymbal and / or twisting of the wires. However, since the external wire connection is removed, the striking part 702 of the cymbal assembly 700 can be freely moved and rotated in the same manner as the cymbal of the acoustic cymbal assembly. Example 5: Embodiment 1 of Hi-Hat Assembly

[0177] As another example of a cymbal musical instrument according to the present disclosure, FIGS. 9A through 9C show exemplary components of a hi-hat assembly 900. The hi-hat assembly 900 can include a bottom cymbal 910 and a top cymbal 920 that can be attached to a stand 930, and a pedal 940. The pedal is operable to move the top cymbal 920 downward and toward the bottom cymbal 910, and the movement of the top cymbal 920 sometimes results in striking the bottom cymbal 910 and sometimes approaching the bottom cymbal 910. The top and / or bottom cymbals 920, 910 (in this case, only the top cymbal 920) can include many components similar and / or identical to those included in the cymbal assembly 700 described above with respect to FIGS. 7A through 7F, and in one embodiment, are substantially equivalent to the cymbal assembly 700 except for a modified electronic device module described in detail below with respect to FIG. 9C.

[0178] A ring 914 that can include one or more sound attenuation materials such as foam, rubber, and / or other materials known in the art can be used to attenuate and / or prevent the acoustic sound generated when the cymbals 910, 920 contact each other. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, other elements and methods for attenuation can be used in addition to or instead of the ring 914.

[0179] The hi-hat 900 can include electronic devices and related components, and in this case, although it is part of the top cymbal 920, it is understood that other attachment configurations are possible such that it can be attached above the bottom cymbal 910. For example, the electronic devices and related components can be included in the electronic device module 952 shown in detail in FIG. 9C. The electronic device module 952 can include many components that are the same as or similar to those of the electronic device module 752, such as the electronic devices 200 and one or more power supplies 780.

[0180] The illustrated assembly and other embodiments of the present disclosure can also include a capacitive lever 960. In the particular illustrated embodiment, the capacitive lever 960 includes an attachment portion 960a and a lever portion 960b, although many different embodiments are possible, and in some embodiments, the attachment portion can be omitted. The lever portion 960b can be, for example, a spring metal strip and can be made of a conductive material such as metal. The mount portion 960a can be circular (similar to or the same as the mount portion 1060a described in more detail below) and can be covered by two layers: a conductive layer connectable to the electronic device 200, and a non-conductive layer that is on and / or covers the conductive layer to prevent the lever portion 960b from contacting the conductive layer because there is a non-conductive layer between the conductive layer and the lever portion 960b. In the illustrated embodiment, the capacitive lever 960 is part of the electronic device module 952, although other embodiments are possible. Similar to the cymbal assembly 700, by including the capacitive lever 960 as part of the electronic device module 952, the electronic device module 952 can be used with devices of various sizes such as hi-hats.

[0181] When the lever portion 960b moves (in the illustrated embodiment, in the shown rotational direction and / or the direction indicated by the arrow, although other embodiments are possible), it flexes / rolls on the mount portion 960b, which can be circular. In embodiments where the mount portion 960b is circular, this allows the lever portion 960b to gradually contact the mount portion 960a more (or less) as its position changes, providing high sensitivity and accuracy. When the lever portion 960b is moved, a capacitive displacement sensor measures the change in position and generates a signal corresponding to that position. This signal is an input to the electronic device 200. An actuator, such as actuator 962, can be used to rotate the capacitive lever. The actuator in this embodiment is included above the bottom signal 910 and below the top signal 920, attached to the stand 930, and / or can be included as part of the top signal 920. Actuator 962 is essentially circumferential (e.g., cup-shaped as shown) and operates effectively regardless of the orientation of the top signal 920 (and thus the capacitive lever 960). During operation, when the top signal 920 moves downward, the capacitive lever 960 encounters the actuator 960 and rotates upward. A capacitive displacement sensor can be used to measure the position of the capacitive lever 960, and thus the position of the top signal 920 in relation to the bottom signal 910, and / or the vicinity of signals 910, 920.

[0182] In a conventional hi-hat assembly, the sound generated when a user strikes the top cymbal with a drumstick or the like varies based on the position of the top cymbal relative to the bottom cymbal. For example, if the pedal is operated until the top cymbal has moved halfway towards the bottom cymbal, the sound when the top cymbal is struck is different from the sound when the top cymbal is in its stationary position. In the illustrated embodiment, when the user strikes the assembly with a drumstick, for example by striking the upper surface of the top cymbal 920, the relative positions of the top and bottom cymbals 910, 920 are measured using the capacitive lever 960, and a signal corresponding to that position is used as an input to generate a sound, such as an input to the electronic device 200. The sensor pulse varies based on the position of the capacitance lever, and the capacitance lever 960 itself varies based on the relative positions of the top and bottom cymbals 910, 920 (in this case, based on the position of the upper cymbal 920), and the sound generated varies according to the message / impulse.

[0183] In this particular embodiment, the lever 960 is used to measure the position through a change in capacitance. However, other embodiments are possible. For example, in some embodiments, a mechanism different from a lever, such as a compressible device whose vertical height changes based on the relative position of the cymbals, is used. In other embodiments, variables other than capacitance are used. In some embodiments, multiple measuring devices (such as, but not limited to, levers) are used. In some embodiments, the measuring device included as part of the electronic device module 952 at the central position of the assembly is at another position, such as near the rim or in an intermediate position of the cymbal. In one contemplated embodiment, an optical sensor is used to measure the distance between the two cymbals. In another contemplated embodiment, the space between the two cymbals is determined by an optical sensor and / or a time-of-flight sensor, etc., using acoustic and / or light reflection / time-of-flight measurements. Many different embodiments are possible.

[0184] Embodiments in which an electronic device and / or a position detection mechanism (such as lever 960) is included near and / or between the cymbals, for example, assembly 900 in which the electronic device is included between top and bottom cymbals 920, 910, can have distinct advantages over embodiments in which the cymbal position detection element is included elsewhere. For example, when position detection utilizes an element within the pedal, it is often necessary to route a wire from the pedal to a transmitter / converter (such as transmitter / converter 952), etc. This can be cumbersome and is avoided in assembly 900 by including all or substantially all of the electronic devices between and / or near cymbals 910, 920. As with all embodiments of the present disclosure, this is also beneficial in that the user can select their own hardware for each drum, such as their preferred drum pedal. Example 6: Embodiment 2 of Hi-Hat Assembly

[0185] As another example of a cymbal musical instrument according to the present disclosure, FIGS. 10A through 10C show a hi-hat assembly 1000. The hi-hat assembly can include a bottom cymbal 1010 and a top cymbal 1020 that can be attached to a stand 1030, and a pedal 1040. The assembly also includes an electronics section 1050, also shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B. Although other embodiments are possible, the electronics section 1050 can be under the pedal 1040, as shown. The electronics section 1050 can include, for example, a capacitive lever 1060 (which itself includes a mount portion 1060a and a lever portion 1060b), an electronic device 200, a power source such as a battery (which can be included in electronics compartment 1062), and a jack for wire connection 1080, although some of these components (such as the jack and wire connection 1080) can be omitted depending on the embodiment.

[0186] In this embodiment, a capacitive lever 1060 similar to the capacitive lever 960 of FIGS. 9A through 9C is included, but the electronic device portion 1050 is part of the pedal 1040 rather than between the cymbals 1010, 1020. Instead of the components of the capacitive lever 1060, components similar to those shown for the capacitive lever 960 can be used, and components similar to those shown for the capacitive lever 1060 can be used in the hi-hat assembly 900 in place of the components of the capacitive lever 960. Additionally, the electronic device portion 1050 can be used with a pedal that is part of another type of assembly, such as a bass drum striking assembly, rather than part of the hi-hat. Many different embodiments and combinations are possible.

[0187] As best shown in FIGS. 10B and 10C, when the user depresses the pedal 1040, the capacitive lever 1060 (specifically, the lever portion 1060b) activates and is pressed downward, and when the pedal rises, the capacitive lever 1060 is released and springs upward. This assembly can include a stopper 1070 (such as a rubber plug) that limits the range of movement of the pedal 1040 and the lever portion 1060b. When the lever portion 1060b is depressed, the lever portion 1060b gradually contacts and presses against the round mount portion 1060a. The mount portion 1060 can include two layers, where the first layer is a conductive layer connected to the electronic device 200, and the second layer is a non-conductive layer (such as rubber and / or tape) for preventing contact between the lever portion 960b and the conductive layer (e.g., located on top of the conductive layer and / or between the conductive layer and the lever portion 1060b). The conductive layer and the lever portion 1060b can be connected (e.g., by wire connection) to the electronic device 200 to achieve the aforementioned sensing (such as capacitive sensing) that can be programmed into the electronic device 200. The electronic device can use the sensed information to generate a sound that mimics a conventional acoustic hi-hat.

[0188] The electronic device 200 can be connected to the cymbals 1010, 1020 and the electronic device part thereof via, for example, a wire connection 1080. However, wireless versions are possible, such as, for example, a version in which transmission is achieved wirelessly, and / or a version in which the communication between the cymbal and the electronic device part 1050 is not required, such as an embodiment in which the pedal assembly operates as an independent device that has the role of informing the system of the pedal position. Example 7: Embodiment 3 of Hi-Hat Assembly

[0189] As another example of a cymbal musical instrument according to the present disclosure, FIGS. 12A to 12C show a hi-hat assembly 1000 according to the present disclosure. FIG. 12A shows the assembly 1200 in a fully open position (i.e., when not being played or biased by a drummer), and FIG. 12B shows the assembly 1200' in a fully closed position (i.e., when the cymbals are pressed against each other). The hi-hat assembly 1200 can include components similar to or the same as the assemblies 1000, 1050 of FIGS. 9A to 11B.

[0190] The assembly 1200 may include a bottom cymbal 1210 and a top cymbal 1220 attached to a stand rod 1202. The assembly may further include a mount or lamp 1270 (hereinafter referred to as "mount" for simplicity), an actuator 1262, and a capacitance lever 1260 having a lever portion 1261. The actuator 1262 is similar to or the same as the actuator 962 of the assembly 900 and can perform similar functions. The actuator 962 may be, for example, a plunger. The actuator 1262 can be essentially circumferential, such as circular or elliptical, and / or can cover 180°, 270° or more, 300° or more, 330° or more, 350° or more, or 360° or more. As described above with respect to FIGS. 9A to 9C, this is beneficial in that it enables the capacitive lever to perform its function regardless of the orientation of the cymbals 1210, 1220.

[0191] The capacitance lever 1260 and the actuator 1262 can be attached to different symbols of the symbols 1210 and 1220. Although other embodiments are possible, in the illustrated embodiment, the capacitance lever 1260 is attached to the upper symbol 1220 and the actuator 1262 is attached to the lower symbol 1210. In another embodiment, the capacitance lever 1260 is on the lower symbol 1210 and the actuator 1262 is on the upper symbol 1220. When one of the symbols (e.g., the upper symbol 1220) moves towards the other symbol and the assembly 1200 moves towards the position 1200', the lever portion 1261 encounters the actuator 1262 and begins to displace.

[0192] The lever portion 1261 may be rigid or, in the illustrated embodiment, may be flexible like a leaf spring. The mount 1270 may have a shape similar to the mount portion 1060a in FIGS. 11A and 11B and can perform a similar function. In the fully open position of the assembly 1200 as shown in FIG. 12A, the lever portion 1261 may be placed on the actuator 1262, may be partially displaced already, or may not be displaced (i.e., in its natural rest position). When the lever portion 1261 is displaced and moves towards the closed position 1200' shown in FIG. 12B, the lever portion contacts and / or approaches the mount 1270. Although other embodiments such as a linear embodiment are possible, the engagement surface 1272 of the mount 1270 can be made round or curved such that the lever portion 1060b gradually contacts as the symbols 1210 and 1220 approach each other and / or as the lever portion 1261 is displaced more by the actuator 1262. The engagement surface 1272 may be continuous, but other embodiments such as a discontinuous embodiment are also possible.

[0193] As described with respect to FIGS. 11A and 11B, both the lever portion 1261 and / or the mount 1270 can include a conductive material (such as a metal like aluminum), for example, be made of a conductive material and / or can include a conductive portion or layer. One or both of the lever portion 1261 and the mount 1270 (such as the engagement surface 1272) may also include a non-conductive material or layer to prevent contact with the conductive material. The non-conductive material or layer can be disposed between the conductive materials of the lever portion 1261 and the mount 1270. Examples of non-conductive materials include rubber, tape, non-conductive coatings, powders, powder coatings, or other materials and arrangements understood by those skilled in the art. In a particular embodiment, the mount 1270 includes a powder coating to prevent contact with the conductive material.

[0194] The engagement surface 1272 can be of various shapes including, but not limited to, linear or curved. For a curved shape, the radius of curvature can be constant or variable (such as in the case of a spline curve). By varying the radius of curvature, the sensitivity can be increased based on the positions of the cymbals 1210, 1220. In one embodiment, at a portion of the lever 1260 far from the fulcrum 1260a, for example, at the distal portion 1261b of the lever portion 1261, a larger radius of curvature is used compared to the proximal portion 1261a. Using a larger radius of curvature increases the contact between the lever portion 1261 and the engagement surface 1272 and / or increases the change in capacitance for the same amount of cymbal movement, thus improving the sensitivity. This is particularly useful when the cymbals 1210, 1220 are close to the closed position. This is because it is a specific area where a special sensitivity is required for the musician. As described above with respect to FIGS. 9A - 11B, a sensor such as a capacitive displacement sensor can be used to measure the capacitance between materials and thereby confirm the distance. The sensor can be attached between the cymbals 1210, 1220, for example, under the upper cymbal 1210 or on the upper surface of the lower cymbal 1220, although other embodiments are possible.

[0195] The embodiments presented in this specification are to be understood in an exemplary sense. Embodiments of the present disclosure can include any combination of compatible features shown in various figures, and these embodiments should not be limited to those explicitly illustrated and discussed. For example, without limitation, the appended claims can be modified to combine combinable combinations of elements within the claim set or to become multiple dependent claims from different claim sets.

[0196] The present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to its particular preferred configuration, but other versions are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited to the above versions.

[0197] In addition, it is understood that the components and concepts in the present disclosure are also applicable to musical instruments not specifically mentioned herein. For example, these components and concepts can be applied to handheld musical instruments (e.g., cowbells, congas, triangles, tambourines, shakers), musical instruments such as music pads, marching band instruments, and other types of percussion and non-percussion instruments. In addition, components and concepts (e.g., the electronic devices and / or electronic device parts described herein) can be part of a device or system that is separate from but attachable to a device, such as a clip-on trigger device like a device attachable to a drum rim and / or drum head.

[0198] Furthermore, it is understood that the components and concepts of the present disclosure can be applied to signals other than musical instrument, music, and / or acoustic signals, instead of or in addition to musical instrument signals. For example, without limitation, signals for controlling lighting can also be used. In a particular embodiment, musical instrument signals and optical signals are generated by a particular type of actuation (e.g., turning a light on, turning a light off, changing the color of a light, changing the mode of a light (e.g., to or from a strobe mode), changing the brightness of a light, etc.). In another embodiment, only optical signals are generated by a particular type of actuation. In another embodiment, some types of actuation generate musical instrument signals and other types of actuation generate optical signals. In another embodiment, a user can switch between a musical instrument mode, a light mode, and / or a mode of both the musical instrument and the light. Various embodiments are possible, including embodiments that use other types of signals.

[0199] The foregoing is intended to cover all modifications and alternative configurations within the spirit and scope of the disclosure as set forth in the appended claims, where no part of the disclosure, whether explicit or implicit, is intended to be dedicated to the public domain, whether or not it is described in the claims.

Claims

1. An electronic musical instrument system comprising an electronic musical instrument equipped with an electronic device for communicating with a hub, the electronic musical instrument being configured to operate in a plurality of modes having different functions, the plurality of modes including a sleep mode, a standby mode, and an execution mode.

2. The electronic musical instrument system according to claim 1, further comprising the hub.

3. The plurality of modes further includes a scan mode, the electronic musical instrument is configured to execute a request cycle, and the request cycle includes switching between the sleep mode and the scan mode to request connection to the hub in the scan mode. The electronic musical instrument system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The electronic musical instrument is configured to execute the request cycle at a preset cycle time. The electronic musical instrument system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The preset cycle time is between 1 second and 30 seconds. The electronic musical instrument system according to claim 4.

6. The time of the scan mode in each cycle is less than 100 milliseconds. The electronic musical instrument system according to any one of claims 3 to 5.

7. The time of the scan mode in each cycle is less than 1% of the total cycle time. The electronic musical instrument system according to any one of claims 3 to 6.

8. During the request cycle, the electronic musical instrument requests connection only to the hub to which the electronic musical instrument was most recently connected. The electronic musical instrument system according to any one of claims 3 to 7.

9. During the request cycle, the electronic musical instrument requests connection only to the channel to which the electronic musical instrument system was last connected. The electronic musical instrument system according to any one of claims 3 to 7.

10. The electronic musical instrument includes one or more sensors and an electronic device configured to receive impulses from the one or more sensors in the standby mode. The electronic musical instrument system according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. When the instrument is activated, the electronic musical instrument switches from the standby mode to the execution mode and is configured to transmit a musical instrument signal to the hub. The electronic music system according to claim 10.

12. The electronic musical instrument is provided with a sensor, and the electronic musical instrument is configured to transmit a musical instrument signal when the sensor generates an impulse having at least a magnitude of a first threshold value, and not to transmit a musical instrument signal when the sensor generates an impulse having a magnitude less than the magnitude of the first threshold value. The electronic music system according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. The electronic musical instrument is configured to shift from the sleep mode to the standby mode when the sensor generates an impulse having at least a magnitude of a second threshold value, and not to shift from the sleep mode to the standby mode when the sensor generates an impulse having a magnitude less than the magnitude of the second threshold value. The electronic music system according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. An electronic music system according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the electronic musical instrument is provided with a sensor, and the electronic musical instrument is configured to transmit a musical instrument signal when the sensor generates an impulse having at least a magnitude of a first threshold value, and not to transmit a musical instrument signal when the sensor generates an impulse having a magnitude less than the magnitude of the first threshold value, wherein the electronic musical instrument is configured to shift from the sleep mode to the standby mode when the sensor generates an impulse having a magnitude of a second threshold value, and not to shift from the sleep mode to the standby mode when the sensor generates an impulse having a magnitude less than the magnitude of the second threshold value, wherein the magnitude of the second threshold value is greater than the magnitude of the first threshold value. The electronic music system.

15. The operation for generating the impulse in the sensor is a strike of a drum head. The electronic music system according to claim 14.

16. The electronic musical instrument is configured to transmit musical instrument profile information and / or settings to the hub when connected to the hub. The electronic music system according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

17. The electronic musical instrument is configured to transmit musical instrument profile information and / or settings embedded in a connection request message. The electronic music system according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

18. The execution mode has fewer functions than all the functions of the standby mode. The electronic music system according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

19. The electronic music system according to any one of claims 1 to 18, comprising a plurality of said electronic musical instruments.

20. A method of operating a musical instrument system including a hub and one or more musical instruments including a first musical instrument, the method comprising controlling each of the musical instruments to operate in a plurality of modes including a sleep mode, a scan mode, a standby mode, and an execution mode, and the operation comprising: transitioning the first musical instrument from the sleep mode to the scan mode and transmitting a connection request from the first musical instrument to the hub during the scan mode; receiving the connection request with the hub, forming a connection between the first musical instrument and the hub, and transitioning the musical instrument to the standby mode; transitioning the first musical instrument from the standby mode to the execution mode and transmitting a musical instrument signal from the first musical instrument to the hub during the execution mode; receiving the musical instrument signal at the hub; generating sound based on the musical instrument signal; A method comprising.

21. An electronic musical instrument system, a hub comprising at least a first hub antenna, a musical instrument configured to pair with the hub and transmit a musical instrument signal to the hub, the musical instrument comprising a first musical instrument antenna and a second musical instrument antenna, An electronic musical instrument system, wherein the hub and the musical instrument are configured to communicate between the first hub antenna and the first musical instrument antenna and between the first hub antenna and the second musical instrument antenna.

22. The electronic musical instrument system according to claim 21, wherein the first musical instrument antenna is a wire antenna and the second musical instrument antenna is a chip antenna.

23. The electronic musical instrument system according to claim 21 or 22, wherein the electronic musical instrument is configured to change from communication using the first musical instrument antenna to communication using the second musical instrument antenna.

24. The electronic musical instrument system according to claim 23, wherein the electronic musical instrument is configured to perform the change when communication reaches a low performance threshold.

25. The electronic musical instrument system according to claim 24, wherein the low performance threshold is that one or more confirmation response signals from the hub are missing.

26. The electronic musical instrument is configured to switch from communication using the second musical instrument antenna to communication using the first musical instrument antenna, in the electronic musical instrument system according to any one of claims 23 to 25.

27. The electronic musical instrument is configured to revert the change when communication reaches a second low performance threshold, in the electronic musical instrument system according to claim 26.

28. The second low performance threshold is the same as the first low performance threshold, in the electronic musical instrument system according to claim 27.

29. The electronic musical instrument system according to any one of claims 21 to 28, comprising a plurality of the musical instruments.

30. A method of operating a musical instrument system including a hub and one or more musical instruments including a first musical instrument, wherein the hub includes a first hub antenna, the first musical instrument includes a first musical instrument antenna and a second musical instrument antenna, and the method includes: pairing the first musical instrument with the hub; transmitting one or more musical instrument signals from the first musical instrument antenna to the hub antenna; determining that communication using the first musical instrument antenna has reached a low performance threshold; switching from the first musical instrument antenna to the second musical instrument antenna; transmitting one or more musical instrument signals from the second musical instrument to the hub using the second musical instrument antenna; The method includes the above steps.

31. A cymbal assembly, comprising: a striking part; an electronic device part below the striking part, the electronic device part including at least a first edge sensor and a spacer between the first edge sensor and the lower side of the striking part; The cymbal assembly includes the above components.

32. The spacer is a cured material, in the cymbal assembly according to claim 31.

33. The spacer is cured silicone, in the cymbal assembly according to claim 31 or 32.

34. The cymbal assembly according to any one of claims 31 to 33, further comprising a pressing member between the spacer and the first sensor.

35. The pressing member is made of a deformable material, in the cymbal assembly according to claim 34.

36. The pressing member is made of rubber, in the cymbal assembly according to claim 34 or 35.

37. The pressure member is essentially circumferential, the cymbal assembly according to any one of claims 34 to 36.

38. The pressure member is attached to the electronic device part, the cymbal assembly according to any one of claims 34 to 37.

39. The pressure member is attached to the protrusion of the electronic component, the cymbal assembly according to any one of claims 34 to 38.

40. At least a part of the bottom of the pressure member is directly disposed on the electronic device part without passing through the first sensor, the cymbal assembly according to any one of claims 34 to 39.

41. The first edge sensor is disposed in the channel of the electronic device part, the cymbal assembly according to any one of claims 31 to 40.

42. The electronic device part includes a local power source, the cymbal assembly according to any one of claims 31 to 41.

43. The first edge sensor is an FSR sensor, the cymbal assembly according to any one of claims 31 to 42.

44. The spacer includes cured silicone, the cymbal assembly according to any one of claims 31 to 43.

45. The spacer mechanically connects the pressure member and the lower side of the striking part, the cymbal assembly according to any one of claims 34 to 44.

46. The spacer is directly disposed between the pressure member and the lower side of the striking part, the cymbal assembly according to any one of claims 34 to 45.

47. The spacer mechanically connects the first edge sensor to the lower side of the striking part, the cymbal assembly according to any one of claims 31 to 46.

48. A plurality of the spacers are provided radially around the electronic device part, the cymbal assembly according to any one of claims 31 to 47.

49. The spacer is a first spacer and further includes a second spacer, and the second spacer is inside the first spacer, the cymbal assembly according to any one of claims 31 to 48.

50. The second spacer is on the raised portion of the electronic device part, the cymbal assembly according to claim 49.

51. The second spacer is in the recess of the electronic device part, the cymbal assembly according to claim 49 or 50.

52. The cymbal assembly according to any one of claims 49 to 51, further comprising a third spacer inside the second spacer.

53. A cymbal assembly, comprising: a striking part; an electronic device part below the striking part; a first edge sensor positioned between the electronic part and the lower side of the striking part; a spacer positioned between the electronic device part and the lower side of the striking part; The cymbal assembly is provided with.

54. The cymbal assembly according to claim 53, wherein the first edge sensor and the spacer are adjacent to each other.

55. The cymbal assembly according to claim 53 or 54, wherein the first edge sensor is on the electronic device part, and the spacer is between the first edge sensor and the lower side of the electronic device part.

56. The cymbal assembly according to claim 53 or 54, wherein the spacer is on the electronic device part, and the first edge sensor is between the spacer and the lower side of the electronic device part.

57. A method of forming a cymbal assembly, comprising arranging a spacer material between an electronic device part and a striking part, and curing the spacer material to form a spacer that fills a gap between the electronic device part and the striking part.

58. The method according to claim 57, further comprising attaching a pressing member to the electronic device part, wherein the spacer material is disposed between the pressing member and the lower side of the striking part.

59. The method, wherein the spacer fills a gap between the pressing member and the striking part.

60. The method according to claim 58 or 59, wherein the electronic device part includes a sensor, and the pressing member is on the sensor.

61. The method according to any one of claims 57 to 60, wherein the electronic device part includes a sensor, and the spacer is on the sensor.

62. The method according to any one of claims 58 to 61, wherein the pressing member is deformable.

63. The method according to any one of claims 58 to 62, wherein the pressing member is rubber.

64. The method according to any one of claims 57 to 63, wherein the spacer material is curable silicone.

65. The method according to any one of claims 57 to 64, comprising curing the spacer material to form a plurality of spacers.

66. A cymbal assembly, comprising: A striking part including a conductive material, An electronic device part below the striking part, A conductive element above the electronic device part and below the striking part, One or more sensors configured to measure a variable corresponding to the distance between the striking part and the conductive element, A cymbal assembly including the above.

67. The cymbal assembly according to claim 66, wherein the one or more sensors include a capacitance displacement sensor.

68. The cymbal assembly according to claim 66 or 67, wherein the conductive element is substantially flat.

69. The cymbal assembly according to any one of claims 66 to 68, wherein the conductive element is substantially ring-shaped.

70. The cymbal assembly according to any one of claims 66 to 69, wherein the conductive element is substantially arranged around the edge of the electronic device part.

71. The cymbal assembly according to any one of claims 66 to 70, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to recognize cymbal choke and / or edge strike.

72. The cymbal assembly according to any one of claims 66 to 71, further comprising an electronic component configured to receive an impulse from the one or more sensors.

73. The cymbal assembly according to claim 72, wherein the electronic device is configured to discriminate between an edge strike and a cymbal choke.

74. A hi-hat assembly, A first cymbal, A second cymbal spaced apart from the first cymbal by a separation distance when the hi-hat assembly is in a rest position, A lever on the first cymbal, the lever including a conductive material, A mount on the first cymbal close to the lever, the mount including a conductive material, An actuator on the second cymbal, A sensor provided between the first cymbal and the second cymbal, the sensor being configured to measure the capacitance between the lever and the mount, A hi-hat assembly including the above.

75. The hi-hat assembly according to claim 74, wherein the lever is configured such that when the separation distance decreases, the engagement with the engagement surface of the mount increases.

76. The engagement surface is curved, the high hat assembly according to claim 75.

77. The engagement surface has a plurality of radii of curvature, the high hat assembly according to claim 76.

78. The engagement surface is a spline curve, the high hat assembly according to claim 76 or 77.

79. The mount is between the lever and the first cymbal, the high hat assembly according to any one of claims 74 to 78.

80. The mount includes a conductive material and a non-conductive material, and the non-conductive material separates the lever portion from the conductive material, the high hat assembly according to any one of claims 74 to 79.

81. The non-conductive material includes a powder coating, the high hat assembly according to any one of claims 74 to 80.

82. Further comprising an electronic device, the sensor is configured to transmit an impulse to the electronic device, the high hat assembly according to any one of claims 74 to 81.

83. The electronic device is configured to transmit a musical instrument signal to a hub, the high hat assembly according to claim 82.

84. The first cymbal and the second cymbal are mounted on a rod, the high hat assembly according to any one of claims 74 to 83.

85. When the high hat assembly is in the rest position, the lever is in contact with the actuator, the high hat assembly according to any one of claims 74 to 84.

86. When the high hat assembly is in the rest position, the lever is displaced by the actuator, the high hat assembly according to any one of claims 74 to 85.

87. The lever includes a spring, the high hat assembly according to any one of claims 74 to 86.

88. The lever includes a leaf spring, the high hat assembly according to claim 87.

89. The lever, the mount, the actuator, and the sensor are disposed between the first cymbal and the second cymbal, the high hat assembly according to any one of claims 74 to 88.

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