Electronic Percussion Pad Strike Technique Differentiation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electronic percussion instruments fail to accurately differentiate between slap and tonic strikes, often triggering incorrect sounds due to the reliance on strike zone detection alone, which does not account for the technique used, particularly when the edge of the instrument is struck during tonics.

Innovation Solution

The equipment employs a main sensor under the skin and an edge sensor on the pad rim to measure the duration between edge and skin hits, triggering distinct sounds based on threshold durations to differentiate between tonic and slap techniques, allowing for precise detection of striking techniques.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the instrument uses zone-based detection to identify strike locations, then it can trigger different sounds for different areas, but it cannot accurately differentiate between slap and tonic techniques when both strike the same zone

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestrike technique differentiationVSAvoidsensor system
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The detection system is segmented into two independent sensor channels: a first sensor dedicated to detecting rim strikes and a second sensor dedicated to detecting head strikes. This segmentation allows each sensor to specialize in detecting specific strike types, enabling accurate differentiation between slap and tonic techniques based on which sensor is activated first, without requiring a complex single sensor to perform multiple detection functions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If the instrument triggers sound based only on strike zone, then the system remains simple, but it produces incorrect sounds when the edge is struck during tonic technique

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesound trigger accuracyVSAvoiddetection system
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary detection by monitoring both the first sensor (rim strike detector) and the second sensor (head strike detector) simultaneously before triggering any sound. By detecting the temporal sequence of strikes in advance—specifically whether the rim is struck before the head within a predetermined time interval—the system can pre-determine the appropriate sound trigger, ensuring reliability while maintaining a relatively simple dual-sensor architecture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If the instrument uses a single sensor to detect all strikes, then the device complexity is low, but it cannot distinguish between slap and tonic strikes that hit the same area

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestrike technique identificationVSAvoidinstrument setup
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The detection function is segmented between two sensors positioned at different locations: the first sensor on or near the rim to detect rim strikes, and the second sensor on the head to detect head strikes. This spatial segmentation enables the system to identify strike techniques by detecting which sensor responds first, providing precise technique identification while keeping each sensor's function simple and straightforward to implement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3968319B1Equipment for the generation of electronic sound from strikes made on a percussion pad
Publication Date: 2023.08.30 COTTAREL SYLVAIN
  • EP3968319B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3968319B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3968319B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

Equipment for generating electronic sound from strikes on a percussion pad, the pad comprising a drumhead (1) and a pad rim (7), the equipment comprising: - a main sensor (3), detecting a strike, referred to as a drumhead strike, located on an area of ​​the drumhead (1), - a rim sensor (2, 7) detecting a strike, referred to as a rim strike, located on the rim (7) of the pad, - a processing unit configured to measure the time interval between the detection of a rim strike and the detection of a drumhead strike. The sound generation equipment is configured to: - trigger a first sound if the measured time interval is less than a first threshold time T1, - trigger a second sound, distinct from the first sound, if the measured time interval is between a second threshold time T2 and a third threshold time T3, T2 being a time interval greater than or equal to T1.