Tone Matrix Music Box ECE477 – Team 17

Presenter: Wan Qi Choo

Patent Liability Analysis

Digital musical instrument - interface: the 8 x 8 matrix of light emitting buttons. - 64 buttons: may be activated in different ways to

generate musical tones and light.

3 music playing modes:- Sweep mode, Memory mode, Gravity mode.

3 musical instrument voices:- Guitar, Piano, Drum beats

MIDI features

Project: Major Features

1. An ability to respond to user’s selection by producing sound and emitting light when the buttons are pressed.

2. An ability to memorize the sequence, as well as play the selected tones infinitely, in the order set by user.

3. An ability to utilize an accelerometer to detect the inclination and direction of the device, so that the pitch and tempo of music can be changed.

4. An ability to load various musical instruments sounds such as guitar, piano, and drum beats from the internal memory of the microcontroller and to play out sound.

5. An ability to control computers or other MIDI instruments by sending MIDI, which are the operation data generated from the device, through the MIDI OUT interface.

PSSCs:

1. An ability to respond to user’s selection by producing sound and emitting light when the buttons are pressed.

2. An ability to memorize the sequence, as well as play the selected tones infinitely, in the order set by user.

3. An ability to utilize an accelerometer to detect the inclination and direction of the device, so that the pitch and tempo of music can be changed.

4. An ability to load various musical instruments sounds such as guitar, piano, and drum beats from the internal memory of the microcontroller and to play out sound.

5. An ability to control computers or other MIDI instruments by sending MIDI, which are the operation data generated from the device, through the MIDI OUT interface.

PSSCs:

Sweep mode- Music is played in a sequence such that when a

sweeping bar hits the buttons that were pressed, it generates the tones and light associated with the buttons.

- The vertical sweeping bar is virtual as it only serves as a tool to count beats.

- It moves horizontally, one grid at a time, from left to right and repeats.

- The eight columns represent the eight timing steps; the eight rows represent eight different pitches.

Memory mode- Music is played and looped infinitely in a sequence

following the order the buttons were selected.- 64 buttons represent 64 types of pitches.

Music Playing Mode

Gravity mode- Accelerometer is used to detect device inclination. - The selected button acts like a spherical object

that generates the associated musical notes and light based on its coordinates as it moves around the plane.

- The tempo of the playing tones is determined by the device inclination.

Music Playing Mode

Fundamental criteria for analysis: - Project’s major features- Project’s PSSCs

Similar commercial products: - Tenori-On by Yamaha

Patent Liability Analysis

1. Visually attractive interface: - When a switch is pushed, the light is emitted

and user will have the points to generate the sound. - Perform exactly the same function:

[PSSC1]: An ability to respond to user’s selection by producing sound and emitting light when the

buttons are pressed.

Prior Arts – Similar Features

Tenori-On W

Similar Features2. Create Music with various kinds of loops:

- Score mode: When scan bar moves one by one from left to right, it generates sound at the point where the switches were pushed and loops.

- Perform substantially the same function as the Sweep mode. (Scan bar is not visible in Sweep

mode.)

Similar Features- Random loop mode: When switch is pushed one by one,

the point that was pushed should be memorized as the order it was pushed.

- Light moves between the points where switches were pushed and the sound should be generated when the light hits the point.

- Perform substantially the same function as the Memory mode. (Light is only visible on the pressed buttons in Memory mode.) [PSSC2]: An ability to memorize the sequence, as well as play the selected tones infinitely, in the order set by user.

Patent filed for Tenori-On Performance Apparatus and Tone Generation

Method –Patent No. : US8008565B2-Patent Date : Aug 30, 2011-Filed : Oct 21, 2009

Performance Apparatus and Tone Generation Method using the Performance Apparatus

–Patent No. : US7342164B2-Patent Date : March 11, 2008-Filed : July 28, 2006

Performance Apparatus and Tone Generation Method Abstract: “Plural key switches are arranged in two dimensions along X- and Y-coordinate axes, and an X-coordinate position of each of the key switches is associated with tone generation timing while a Y-coordinate position of each of the key switches is associated with a tone pitch. Storage section stores a music piece data set that includes tone generating data having data of tone pitches and tone generation timing associated with the key switches. In a repeat-section setting mode, a repeat-section setting section causes the plural key switches to function as setting operators and sets a repeat section of the music piece data set on the basis of the X-coordinate position of any operated one of the key switches. In reproduction of the stored music piece data set, a reproduction section repetitively reproduces the tone generating data of the music piece data set which are included in the set repeat section.”

Types: Literal Infringement

Actions: obtain license from Yamaha to use the functions

Apparatus and Tone Generation Method using the Performance Apparatus

Abstract: “Key switches are arranged to form plural rows, and light emitting elements are provided in corresponding relation to the key switches. For each of the rows, any operated key switch is detected, and, on the basis of such detection, the light emitting elements are sequentially illuminated so that an illuminated position reciprocates between the operated key switch and the key switch located at a predetermined position of the row the operated key switch belongs to. In synchronism with illumination of the key switch located at a predetermined position of the row, at least one of tones allocated to the row is generated. When duration of operation of the operated key switch is greater than a predetermined time, the light emitting elements located in a predetermined range may be illuminated in accordance with a predetermined pattern, and an effect may be imparted to a tone corresponding to the operated key switch.”

Types: Infringement under Doctrine of Equivalents

Actions: obtain license from Yamaha to use the functions

Questions/Comments?