Visual Pedal Key Designation for Electronic Musical Instruments
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic musical instruments with pedal keyboards face challenges in providing effective performance guidance due to the distance between the pedals and the user's line of sight, making it difficult for players to identify and operate pedal keys, especially for those unfamiliar with chord scores.
Innovation Solution
A performance assistance apparatus that includes a processor and display device to visually designate pedal keys corresponding to bass notes on a foot operator image, allowing players to easily identify and operate pedal keys by displaying a foot operator image with designated keys based on chord information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If LEDs are provided at positions near the user's eyes, then the LEDs are easily visible, but the LEDs and the pedal keyboard are spaced from each other by a relatively great distance, making it difficult for the user to associate illuminated LEDs and pedal keys to be operated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a visual copy or representation of the pedal keyboard layout on a display device. This displayed pedal keyboard shows the spatial arrangement and correspondence between pedal keys and LEDs, allowing users to associate illuminated LEDs with their corresponding pedal keys even when physically separated. The visual copy bridges the gap between the user's line of sight and the actual pedal keyboard position.
2Ease of operation
If LEDs for the pedal keyboard are provided at positions near the pedal keyboard, then the LEDs are close to the pedal keys, but it may be difficult for the user to look at the LEDs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions the LED guidance from a two-dimensional physical space (near the pedal keyboard) to a different dimensional space by using a display device. The display can be positioned in the user's line of sight while still providing visual information about pedal key positions, effectively moving the guidance interface to a more accessible dimension without losing the spatial correspondence information.
3Loss of information
If a chord score is used to guide performance, then chord information is provided, but for a human player who does not have sufficient knowledge of chords or is unfamiliar with a chord score, it is difficult to associate chords indicated on the chord score and manual and pedal keys to be operated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary visual representation (the displayed pedal keyboard) that mediates between the chord score information and the actual pedal key operation. This intermediary shows the direct correspondence between chords and the specific pedal keys to be pressed, eliminating the need for users to mentally translate chord notation into key positions. The intermediary bridges the knowledge gap for users unfamiliar with chord scores.
Data Source
AI summary
To assist a human player in performing a plurality of foot operators (pedal keys) operable with a human player's foot, a foot operator image indicative of the foot operator group is displayed on a display screen. Chord information of a chord to be performed is acquired, and a pitch of a bass note corresponding to the chord indicated by the acquired chord information is identified. A particular foot operator corresponding to the identified pitch of the bass note is visually designated on the foot operator image displayed on the display screen. An object indicative of a chord name is displayed on the same display screen. Objects indicative of one or more chord names corresponding to a chord progression over a plurality of measures is displayed. A display object highlighting one object indicative of a particular chord name is added in accordance with a progression of a performance.