US3590129A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electronic chord selection device for a musical instrument
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1969-04-23
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Granted: 1971-06-29
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Expires: 1989-04-23
Abstract
Abstract The 12 playing keys of an octave range on a standard keyboard each apply a set of chord tone signals to a chord modulator and the root and fifth parts also through input selection gates to a bass divider. Auxiliary controls or an automatic rhythm device drives the input selection gates to alternate the root and fifth parts in the bass and also drives the chord modulator and a bass keyer for various rhythmic patterns of chord and bass. A musical key selector picks any of six pairs of musical keys and controls the tone signals responsive to the playing keys so the chords produced are diatonic chords of the pair of selected musical keys. Other auxiliary controls allow the player to add or delete chord parts and to change the types of chords. Diode keyers feeding into current mixers allow multiple drives without introducing crosstalk and so minimize the number of keyers required.
Inventors
- 👤 Alfred B Freeman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 19:12
CPC Classifications
G; G10; G10H; G10H1/00; G10H1/36; G10H1/38; G10H1/383; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S84/00; Y10S84/22
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
237 words
In an electronic organ, an array of playing keys encompassing an octave of notes of the musical scale, a plurality of tine signal sources arranged in the order of the musical scale and including said octave of notes, a first bus, a second bus, a first plurality of electronic gates each responsive to actuation of a selected one of said playing keys for passing a tone signal to said first bus which is an nth part of the note pertaining to that one of said playing keys, a further plurality of electronic gates each responsive to actuation of selected one of said playing keys for passing to said second bus a tone signal which is a mth part of the note pertaining to that one of said keys where n and m are chordal components, an output load, a two condition selector for at will transferring tone signal from either one of said buses to said output load to the exclusion of tone signal from the other of said busses, and means responsive to actuation of selected ones of said playing keys to the exclusion of the others of said playing keys for selecting the condition of said two condition selector, wherein said nth part and said mth part are selected from at least one of 1. third and minor third parts and 2. fifth and root parts, of the notes represented by the actuated playing key.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
237 words
In an electronic organ, an array of playing keys encompassing an octave of notes of the musical scale, a plurality of tine signal sources arranged in the order of the musical scale and including said octave of notes, a first bus, a second bus, a first plurality of electronic gates each responsive to actuation of a selected one of said playing keys for passing a tone signal to said first bus which is an nth part of the note pertaining to that one of said playing keys, a further plurality of electronic gates each responsive to actuation of selected one of said playing keys for passing to said second bus a tone signal which is a mth part of the note pertaining to that one of said keys where n and m are chordal components, an output load, a two condition selector for at will transferring tone signal from either one of said buses to said output load to the exclusion of tone signal from the other of said busses, and means responsive to actuation of selected ones of said playing keys to the exclusion of the others of said playing keys for selecting the condition of said two condition selector, wherein said nth part and said mth part are selected from at least one of 1. third and minor third parts and 2. fifth and root parts, of the notes represented by the actuated playing key.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
87 words
The combination according to claim 1, wherein is further provided means for calling forth said fifth and root parts in a rhythmic pattern. 3, The combination according to claim 1, wherein is included a mode switch having three positions, means for developing a control voltage according to the position of said mode switch in response to actuation of any one of four selected keys which are different for each of said positions of said mode switch, and means responsive to said control voltage for actuating said selector.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
13 words
fifth and root parts, of the notes represented by the actuated playing key.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
13 words
fifth and root parts, of the notes represented by the actuated playing key.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
93 words
in an electronic organ, a sequence of playing keys encompassing an octave of musical notes, means responsive to actuation of any one of said playing keys for generating tone signals representative simultaneously of a major and of a minor chord appropriate to that playing key, means responsive to the identity of that playing key for automatically selecting those tone signals appropriate to only that one of said major and minor chords which is appropriate to that playing key, an output transducer, and means for applying the selected tone signals to said output transducer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
93 words
in an electronic organ, a sequence of playing keys encompassing an octave of musical notes, means responsive to actuation of any one of said playing keys for generating tone signals representative simultaneously of a major and of a minor chord appropriate to that playing key, means responsive to the identity of that playing key for automatically selecting those tone signals appropriate to only that one of said major and minor chords which is appropriate to that playing key, an output transducer, and means for applying the selected tone signals to said output transducer.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
54 words
The combination according to claim 4, wherein said means for generating tone signals includes tone signal sourCes and control voltage responsive electronic gates connected in series between said sources and said output transducer, and wherein said means responsive to said playing keys includes means for applying said control voltage selectively to said electronic gates.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
138 words
A chord organ, comprising an octave of keys representing the roots of chords, means responsive to actuation of each of said keys for generating a control voltage representing that key, a plurality of tone signal sources, a control voltage responsive normally nonconductive diode gate in series with each of said sources, an output load comprising an acoustic transducer responsive to tone signal from said sources passed by said gates in response to said control voltages, means connecting each of said control voltages to control a series of gates representing a group of chordal tone signals, said last named tone signals being appropriate to both a major and minor musical chord simultaneously, and means for selectively inhibiting that one of the tone signals of each of said groups which determines whether said musical key shall be major or minor.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
138 words
A chord organ, comprising an octave of keys representing the roots of chords, means responsive to actuation of each of said keys for generating a control voltage representing that key, a plurality of tone signal sources, a control voltage responsive normally nonconductive diode gate in series with each of said sources, an output load comprising an acoustic transducer responsive to tone signal from said sources passed by said gates in response to said control voltages, means connecting each of said control voltages to control a series of gates representing a group of chordal tone signals, said last named tone signals being appropriate to both a major and minor musical chord simultaneously, and means for selectively inhibiting that one of the tone signals of each of said groups which determines whether said musical key shall be major or minor.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
27 words
The combination according to claim 6, wherein is further included means for selectively including and excluding a seventh chord component in and from each of said groups.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
27 words
The combination according to claim 6, wherein is further included means for selectively including in each of said groups either a fifth or a root chord component.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
27 words
The combination according to claim 6, wherein is further included means responsive to actuation of four selected ones of said keys for controlling said means for inhibiting.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
27 words
The combination according to claim 6, wherein is further provided means for selecting which of said four keys shall effect said controlling of said means for inhibiting.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
27 words
The combination according to claim 6, wherein is included means for rhythmically alternating tonal components of said chordal tone signals to form alternately constituted chords in rhythm.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
16 words
The combination according to claim 6, wherein said tonal components are said fifth and root components.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-06-28 | 1974-12-28 | 1975-06-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-06-28 | 1978-12-28 | 1979-06-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-06-28 | 1982-12-28 | 1983-06-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |