Sliding Keyboard Interface for Multi-Directional Pitch Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing musical instruments with moveable keys lack the ability to produce multi-directional chord glissando uniformly across their range, requiring extraordinary manual dexterity and providing no visual or logistical feedback on pitch transformation, limiting their expressive capacity and practicality.

Innovation Solution

A musical instrument interface featuring one or more sliding keyboards that move laterally alongside a stationary ruler, allowing smooth pitch transformations in multiple directions and magnitudes, with the ruler providing visual feedback and enabling intuitive control of chordal elements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If individual keys are moved to control pitch transformations, then pitch control capability is improved, but manual dexterity requirement increases extraordinarily and visual feedback is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepitch control capabilityVSAvoidmanual dexterity requirement

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple individual key movements into a single sliding keyboard assembly that moves laterally as one unit. This merging approach allows pitch transformation control without requiring the player to manually position each key individually, thereby reducing the extraordinary manual dexterity requirement while maintaining pitch control capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a lateral sliding mechanism as an intermediary between the player's hand and the keys. Instead of directly moving each key, the player slides the entire keyboard assembly laterally, and this sliding motion is transferred to the keys through the intermediary mechanism, simplifying the operation while achieving the desired pitch transformations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If individual keys are moved to control pitch transformations, then pitch control capability is improved, but visual indication of note values is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepitch control capabilityVSAvoidvisual indication of note values

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent incorporates a visual feedback mechanism where the lateral position of the sliding keyboard assembly provides visual indication of the current pitch transformation. As the keyboard slides laterally, the player can visually observe the position and corresponding note values, thereby recovering the visual information that would otherwise be lost while maintaining improved pitch control capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Adaptability or versatility

If a single touch-sensitive surface is used instead of multiple mechanical keys, then pitch transformation range is improved, but haptic assurance of mechanical keys is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepitch transformation rangeVSAvoidhaptic assurance

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a composite interface that combines the smooth pitch transformation capability of a continuous surface with the haptic feedback of mechanical keys. The sliding keyboard assembly incorporates physical keys that provide tactile assurance while maintaining the ability to slide continuously for extended pitch transformations, thereby achieving both broad pitch range and reliable haptic feedback.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

4Adaptability or versatility

If multiple simultaneous notes are played with independent pitch transformation, then expressive capacity is improved, but manual dexterity requirement increases extraordinarily

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveexpressive capacityVSAvoidmanual dexterity requirement

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the control of multiple simultaneous notes with independent pitch transformation into a single unified sliding action. By combining multiple keys into one sliding assembly, the player can transform the pitch of multiple notes simultaneously through a single lateral motion, thereby improving expressive capacity while reducing the extraordinary manual dexterity that would be required to control each note independently.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS11482196B2Flexible pitched sliding keyboard instrument and interface

Publication Date: 2022.10.25 BATTLE CLARK

AI summary

A musical keyboard interface capable of controlling either a string instrument or synthesizer controller includes a small, consistent keyboard interface that moves with each hand along one or both edges of a stationary ruler. The ruler segments measure the static location of each note in chromatic order. The keys are oriented in length perpendicular to the length of the ruler and each key is as wide as each ruler segment. As the keyboard moves along the ruler and its keys realign with new ruler segments, the keys become able to articulate the notes indicated by their position. The transformation is gradual, smoothly sliding notes and chords in varying magnitudes and directions simultaneously.