Modulated electromagnetic musical system and associated methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10777181-B2
Application number	US-201716316347-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 10, 2017
Priority date	Jul 10, 2016
Publication date	Sep 15, 2020
Grant date	Sep 15, 2020

Abstract

A modulated electromagnetic musical instrument and sound reproduction system includes an acoustic carrier signal source, a modulation signal source, a linkage element, and an acoustic output. The acoustic carrier signal source is produced electromagnetically or mechanically via human instrument playing. An electromagnetic modulation source mixes with the acoustic carrier signal within a linkage element to produce a nonlinear behavior. This nonlinear behavior's coupled interaction with a physical medium or acoustic body produces sideband frequency components to form unique musical sound outputs and audio effects.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A modulated electromagnetic (EM) musical system, comprising:
an acoustic carrier signal source for generating an acoustic carrier signal;
an EM actuator configured to generate an acoustic modulator signal;
a linkage element, driven by the EM actuator, that exhibits nonlinear behavior when physically mixing the acoustic carrier signal and the acoustic modulator signal; and
an acoustic output coupled with the linkage element to generate acoustic modulation with the non-linear behavior.

2. The modulated EM musical system of claim 1 , wherein the acoustic modulation comprises at least one of amplitude modulation, intermodulation, and frequency modulation.

3. The modulated EM musical system in claim 2 , further comprising:
a second EM actuator that produces a second acoustic modulator signal; and
a second linkage element that exhibits nonlinear behavior when mixing the acoustic carrier signal and the second acoustic modulator signal;
wherein the second linkage element couples with the acoustic output to generate second acoustic modulation.

4. The modulated EM musical system of claim 3 , wherein the acoustic carrier signal source comprises at least one of a string, bar, membrane or drum head, symmetric or asymmetric tuning fork, piezoelectric element, and a surface transducer.

5. The modulated EM musical system of claim 4 , wherein the acoustic modulator signal source comprises one or more of an EM actuator, transducer, voice-coil actuator, and a shaker.

6. The modulated EM musical system of claim 5 , wherein the linkage element comprises at least one of a cantilever, a t-frame, a baffle, and a bridge, wherein a first distance between the linkage element and the acoustic output is zero.

7. The modulated EM musical system of claim 6 , wherein the linkage element assembly further comprises a material for making continuous or intermittent contact with the acoustic output, the material being selected from the group including metal, wood, cloth, rubber, and synthetic elastic material.

8. The modulated EM musical system of claim 7 , wherein the acoustic output is a physical medium that converts and amplifies vibrations into acoustic waves, the acoustic output being selected from the group include solid materials in the form of soundboards, pipes, horns, membranes, planar surfaces, and fluids such as air.

9. The modulated EM musical system of claim 8 , wherein the acoustic output comprising a pickup for converting vibrations into an electrical signal for further processing and/or amplification.

10. The modulated EM musical system of claim 9 , wherein the acoustic output is coupled to an audio input module configured to generate a feedback signal in response to the acoustic output, wherein the feedback signal is processed to control the EM actuator to generate the acoustic modulator signal.

11. The modulated EM musical system of claim 10 , further comprising a base structure having vibration absorption materials configured to isolate acoustic output from acoustic carrier signal source, the EM actuator, and the linkage element.

12. A method for modulating an acoustic carrier signal using a tipped-cantilever linkage element physically coupled to a source of the acoustic carrier signal, the method comprising:
controlling an EM actuator to physically impart an acoustic modulator signal to the tipped-cantilever linkage element;
wherein a tip of the tipped-cantilever linkage element causes a nonlinear interaction with an acoustic output to modulate the acoustic carrier signal.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the modulation is performed through transduction from EM Actuators.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the modulation results from nonlinear motion of a tip of the tipped-cantilever linkage element against the acoustic output.

15. The method of claim 14 , the modulation comprising one or more of amplitude modulation, intermodulation, and frequency modulation.

16. An electromagnetic (EM) musical instrument having acoustic signal modulation, comprising:
an EM driven harmonic oscillator for generating an acoustic carrier signal at an approximate harmonic frequency;
a dampener positioned a first distance from the EM driven harmonic oscillator;
an EM driven transducer for generating a modulation signal to control the dampener to modulate the acoustic carrier signal; and
a linkage element coupling the EM driven harmonic oscillator to an acoustic output wherein the time varying contact of the dampener to the EM driven harmonic oscillator physically modulates the acoustic carrier signal.

17. The EM musical instrument of claim 16 , the modulation comprising one or more of amplitude modulation, intermodulation, and frequency modulation.

18. The EM musical instrument of claim 17 , further comprising an EM driver for driving the harmonic oscillator using an electromagnetic signal to generate the acoustic carrier signal.

Assignees

• Dartmouth College

Inventors

• Topel Spencer
• Chang Herbert H C

Classifications

• G10H3/22 Primary

  using electromechanically actuated vibrators with pick-up means (G10H3/24 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G10H3/20 Primary

  using a tuning fork, rod or tube · CPC title

• G10D99/00

  Musical instruments not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• G10F1/18

  to be played by a bow · CPC title

• G10H3/18

  using a string, e.g. electric guitar {(mechanical features G10D1/085)} · CPC title