Electronic Stringed Instrument Pitch Correction via String-Pressing Sensor

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional electronic stringed instruments experience delays in sound generation due to the time required to extract pitch from a picked string, leading to an unnatural musical performance and uncomfortable playing experience, especially with lower pitched sounds.

Innovation Solution

The electronic stringed instrument employs a string-pressing sensor system that includes both electrical contact detection and electrostatic sensors to rapidly determine the string-pressing position and vibration levels, allowing for immediate sound generation and pitch correction based on detected changes in string vibration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If pitch extraction is performed from the picked string waveform, then accurate pitch determination is achieved, but sound generation delay increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepitch determination accuracyVSAvoidsound generation delay
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system determines the string-pressing position in advance using the string-pressing sensor before the string is actually picked. This preliminary detection of which string is being pressed allows the system to prepare for sound generation ahead of time, reducing the overall delay when the string is picked and ensuring accurate pitch determination is already established.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If multiple detection systems are used to detect string operation, then detection accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestring operation detection accuracyVSAvoiddetection system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The string-pressing sensor acts as an intermediary detection device that simplifies the overall system by providing direct electrical contact detection between the string and fret. This intermediary sensor complements the pickup coil's waveform detection capability, creating a two-stage detection system where the string-pressing sensor handles position detection and the pickup coil handles vibration detection, thereby improving overall detection accuracy without excessive complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach significantly reduces the delay between string picking and sound generation, enabling more natural and expressive musical performance by accurately determining the pitch and volume without relying on maximum waveform values.

Implementation Method 1

a string-pressing sensor 44 for detecting a state of contact between each of the plurality of frets 23 and each of the plurality of strings 22

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectrical conduction: Conduction (electrical)

Implementation Method 2

the CPU detects that detects picking of any of the plurality of strings 22

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectrostatic induction: Electrostatic Induction

Data Source

PatentEP2752842B1Electronic stringed instrument and musical sound generation method
Publication Date: 2018.05.23 CASIO COMPUTER CO LTD
  • EP2752842B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2752842B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2752842B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An electronic stringed instrument 1 includes a string-pressing sensor 44 that detects a state of contact between each of a plurality of frets 23 and each of a plurality of strings 22. A CPU 41 detects that picking of any of the plurality of strings 22, provides a sound generation instruction to a connected sound source 45 to produce musical sound of a pitch determined based on the detected state of contact, detects a vibration pitch of the string 22 of which picking was detected, and corrects the pitch of the musical sound generated by the connected sound source 45 based on the detected vibration pitch.