2002

• 6,259,015 Acoustic signal producing apparatus

  Vague description of a digital karaoke machine. No algorithms are given and the hardware and software architecture are sketched.

• 6,263,154 Multiple user recording system

  Even in 1998, when this patent was filed, this design would have been antiquated. The patent describes a recording system but doesn't mention any of the modern disk standards or even the keyword DSP. Given the fact that the references date to the 1980s, one shouldn't be surprised. One suspects that this system was patented only after it ceased to be marketable.

• 6,269,065 Recording medium and recording/reproduction apparatus thereof

  Sony and Philips teamed up to create the Compact Disk. Now, they have collaborated to create the Super Audio Compact Disk (SACD) for storage of the Direct Stream Digital (DSD) format. The DSD format is the delta-sigma bit stream, stored at 2.824 Mhz. This patent describes the SACD disk, with particular attention to the compatability with existing CD players. Compatability is maintained by addition of a second layer that is not read by existing CD players.

• 6,271,453 Musical blocks and clocks

  Blocks are truly a child's best friend. Why not add a reed or electrical tone generator and create musical blocks? The inventor claims it can teach ``music reading, instrument playing, tempo, staccato, note duration, rhythm, harmony, chords ... and music writing''.

• 6,275,590 Engine noise simulating novelty device

  As if it weren't noisy enough inside a vehicle, this patent proposes adding additional engine noise for different models. Now you too can imagine the roar of a Ferrari inside your compact car.

• 6,281,423 Tone generation method based on combination of wave parts and tone-generating-data recording method and apparatus

  A sound can be decomposed into the time domain waveform, pitch, amplitude and frequency. These waveforms can be stored and editted and the patent describes the details of doing so. Synthesis algorithms are not included.

• 6,281,424 Information processing apparatus and method for reproducing an output audio signal from midi music playing information and audio information

  In accompaniment, the accompanying voice must try and match the speed of the soloist. Given a MIDI stream for the automatic accompaniment, the question is how to change the MIDI stream with changing tempo. The patent describes a method for synchronizing the MIDI stream and audio stream with the tempo. Unfortunately, the patent gives no hints or details about how to measure beat change.

• 6,282,154 Portable hands-free digital voice recording and transcription device

  Many professions require transcription. This patent proposes a dictation machine that can be offloaded to another machine for Automatic Speech Recognition. No details are provided for either the recorder or the ASR algorithms.

• 6,283,817 Stuffed toy

  This passive rocking toy proposes using the restoring force of the spring to power an undescribed mechanical powered sound source.

• 6,284,965 Physical model musical tone synthesis system employing truncated recursive filters

  In waveguide modeling an acoustic instrument with a conical bell, the scattering junction will result in an unstable pole. This can be modeled with a long FIR filter, but the computation time is excessive. The patent describes the use of a Truncated IIR filter for the bell. The patent also describes a state switching method to avoid unstable behavior due to roundoff. The patent includes detailed C++ code.

• 6,286,973 Combination flashlight and audio recorder assembly

  Police on the beat might need a combination audio recorder and a flashlight. As such, this patent exactly fits that bill. Microphone placement at the opposite end of the light might not be optimal.

• 6,288,320 Electric musical instrument

  The convolution of the string with the body in a stringed instrument means it's difficult to derive the original string performance parameters. One solution to this problem is to place a sensor in the bow as well as the body. You can also apply an inverse filter to invert the body (numerical problems not withstanding). The patent is well written and informative.

• 6,292,791 Method and apparatus of synthesizing plucked string instruments using recurrent neural networks

  Given a Digital Waveguide Filter of a musical instrument, one question is how to set the scattering parameters at the waveguide junctions. This patent proposes using trainable neural networks to set these parameters.

• 6,292,854 Method and apparatus for providing high quality audio in a computer system

  One reason for the creation of the cache in the IBM 360/85 circa 1965 was to reduce traffic on the main computer bus. Well, if you put a cache on a sound card, you can achieve the same result!

• 6,296,489 System for sound file recording, analysis, and archiving via the internet for language training and other applications

  The patent proposes a system for language learning by recording and comparing student responses against a master. While this seems like a reasonable concept, no details are given about the critical comparison algorithm.

• 6,297,438 Toy musical device

  Imagine a baton with internal switches such that if you shake it, it would create a sequence of notes. Twelve tone composers could use the output too.

• 6,297,818 Graphical user interface having sound effects for operating control elements and dragging objects

  Why not annoy the computer user by creating sounds when you drop and drag with the mouse? Unfortunately, the patent doesn 't mention how to turn it off.

• 6,298,322 Encoding and synthesis of tonal audio signals using dominant sinusoids and a vector-quantized residual tonal signal

  In sinusoidal coding, the residual can also be coded for better fidelity. However, the residual is noiselike, which presents coding difficulties. The patent proposes using Vector Quantization (VQ) to code the residual. Furthermore, if the sound is known to be harmonic, then additional coding is possible. The patent includes detailed algorithmic flowcharts.

• 6,298,990 Container with sound chip

  Those minds at Kraft Foods won't stop at making junk food --- they want sounds effects when you open the box. Maybe it'll replace the sound of the cookie jar top?

• 6,307,140 Music apparatus with pitch shift of input voice dependently on timbre change

  An undisclosed method of formant shifting is used for gender bending in voice harmony synthesis. Additional effects such as vibrato can be added on each formant. Stored multivoice pitch shifts can create barbershop quartets or a Falsetto Duet... or more. Chorusing is yet another option.

• 6,313,388 Device for adding fluctuation and method for adding fluctuation to an electronic sound apparatus

  Adding AM (tremolo) and FM (vibrato) to stored samples should be a well described art by now. This patent manages 37 claims to the contrary.

• 6,314,191 Fireplace accessory

  Think of a winter fire: the sizzling and popping of the wood, the smell of the pine... But what to do if you have a gas or electric fire? The patent proposes putting a sound chip in a artificial log and reflecting the sound off the fireplace back. And also dispensing pine scent.

• 6,315,631 Method of generating dual track sounds for an electronic toy

  One problem with mechanical toys is that they don't know when to be quiet. Even if you clamp the mouth, they'll soldier on. This patent proposes the use of force feedback, which induces the sound generator to hum instead of sing when the mouth is closed.

• 6,316,710 Musical synthesizer capable of expressive phrasing

  While sampling instruments offer realistic sounds, they are not expressive. The patent describes a state machine based approach to expressive synthesis from stored samples. Like the author's previous patent, it is clear and also gives detailed flowcharts.

• 6,324,337 Audio speed search

  Using audio time compression (not specified), you can search a audio/video steam during fast forward. Therefore, ``the listener can listen for key words that will identify the subject matter while listening to the audio at many times the normal rate''

• 6,326,532 Harmonica having reed vibration conversion capability and associated retrofitting method

  Why not use the diatonic harmonica as an electronic instrument? Just install the new circuit board with sensors (76) and away you go!

• 6,327,367 Sound effects controller

  Computer gaming has produced legions of joystick practicioners. The patent sketches a method of converting the joystick X,Y and Z outputs to synthesizer parameters. No details are given on the best way to derive this map.

• 6,348,646 Musical instrument strings and method for making the same

  The inventors propose the use of a cathodic core (15) (such as Ni or Ti) covered by a polymeric sheathing (19). It is claimed to exhibit ``superior corrosion resistance and quality'' and ``low tension at pitch for reduced stress on musical instruments''. The patent is written clearly and with a historical bent.

• 6,349,851 Vocal dispensing device

  Already we've seen talking alcohol beverages (6,335,691) and food boxes (6,298,990). So why not soap dispensers? The patent describes different activation mechanisms.

• 6,351,225 Multimedia PC keyboard extended with music control keys

  Recipe for a combination keyboard: Take one PC keyboard. Mix together with a 3 octave subset of a piano. Add bad mechanical action. Stir.

• 6,351,540 Digital echo circuit

  Most reverb algorithms are considered proprietary, so this Yamaha patent is unusual. The object is to imitate the wow and flutter of earlier tape delays (``analog echo''). The addition of a distortion block (28) helps increase the garage band factor. A variable delay (16) combined with a feedback loop do the rest.

• 6,353,391 Baby bottle locating system

  Lost baby bottles cause pain and suffering for both child and parent. It's obvious that just like a lost car in the mall parking lot, all you need is a radio transmitter and a sound emitter.

• 6,353,584 Reproducing and recording apparatus, decoding apparatus, recording apparatus, reproducing and recording method, decoding method and recording method

  Another ATRAC (tm) patent from Sony, basically identical, word for word, with U. S. Patent 6,366,545.

• 6,358,111 Interactive talking dolls

  The basic premise is simple enough: put a microprocessor and an infrared sensor in a doll and then it can communicate and converse with other similarly equipped dolls or TV remotes. The patent includes many hardware design details.

• 6,359,207 POSITION TRANSDUCER SYSTEM WITH BUILT-IN CALIBRATOR FOR MOVING OBJECT, METHOD FOR ACCURATELY DETERMINING POSITION OF MOVING OBJECT AND KEYBOARD MUSICAL INSTRUMENT EQUIPPED WITH THE POSITION TRANSDUCER SYSTEM

  To accurately reproduce a piano tone on a player piano, the key velocity must be measured, stored and then mechanically reproduced. Another Yamaha Disklavier (tm) patent, it includes details of the sensor and suitable modifcations to the hammer mechanism with actuators. 6359991 381/152 'Sound making devices, not toys' Greetings or the like card

• 6,328,623 Apparatus and method for calling game

  Elk hunters like to entice their prey with synthetic calls. The patent describes a reed coupled to a cavity with a bellows source for fooling large mammals.

• 6,334,505 Optimum edges for speakers and musical instruments

  The use of serrated edges to reduce diffraction is well known in the antenna literature -- Here it is applied to a variety of acoustical sources. "The musical tone emitted by loudpeakers, brass and wind instruments becomes more smooth, mellow, rich , clean and elegant". Indeed.

• 6,335,691 Musical bottle

  Bars and pubs are places to drink and talk. So, why not create a talking alcoholic beverage bottle? The patent proposes a sensor activated musical or talking bottle (with the transducer on the bottom).

• 6,337,434 Music teaching instrument

  The patent proposes a teaching machine for the well known musical alphabet Solfeg. The machine is a computer controlled synthesizer with puppets, colors, lights and other metaphors.

• 6,342,662 Tune changeable panpipe without harming the lips of a player

  Because "Many students who study to play this panpipe are stopped on halfway because their lips are always harmed by the sharp edge"... the patent proposes a smoother recorder-like edge and insertable transposition pipes for playing in a different key.

• 6,342,665 Music game system, staging instructions synchronizing control method for same, and readable recording medium recorded with staging instructions synchronizing control program for same

  A fascinating look at a Japanese archade rock and roll game machine. The gamer's drum or guitar performance can be compared against a reference, thereby giving a score. Furthermore, the drum and guitar game machines can be networked together for competition and ensemble playing. Sketches of the hardware and software architecture are given.

• 6,360,476 Audible fishing lure

  It is claimed that fish are attrached to sounds and hence a propeller (78, 80) can be a sound generation mechanism. When the lure is pulled, the propeller rotates, hitting edge (34) producing a clicking sound. Experimental results are not presented.

• 6,362,405 Hybrid musical instrument equipped with status register for quickly changing sound source and parameters for electronic tones

  The Diskclavier (tm) is a well known Yamaha product that is not only capable of recording an artist but also playing it back. This particular patent describes the internal construction of the key mechanism that can either act as a sensor (160) for an electronic synthesizer or generate acoustic piano sounds. The strings can also be hit by a solenoid key actuator (141).

• 6,362,406 Shaken idiophone

  Take two halves (22 and 24), attach them together with a screw (52) and a spring (58) and you have an instrument worthy of shaking. The spring provides for a volume that will vary depending on hand pressure.

• 6,362,407 Drum practice pads and drum pad musical instruments

  Drum pads need to be quiet. This patent proposes a maple substrate with a rubbber covering. Surely this belongs to the obvious category?

• 6,362,409 Customizable software-based digital wavetable synthesizer

  Perhaps the only interesting aspect of this software synthesis patent is the explication of Indian music performance rules in section 1.4; the rest is well known to those ``versed in the art''.

• 6,362,411 Apparatus for and method of inputting music-performance control data

  Understanding Yamaha's synthesis user interfaces is often difficult due to the complex and hidden user model. This patent attempts to explain the hidden meaning behind a sampling synthesizer with many time varying parameters. Caveat Lector.

• 6,362,412 Analyzer used for plural physical quantitied, method used therein and musical instrument equipped with the analyzer

  An acoustic piano player develops an appreciation for the ``action''. Electronic piano keys have lacked the tactile feedback that performers prefer. This patent proposes the insertion of a photo sensor (142) under the key. The output of the sensor is digitized and used for the control of the sound.

• 6,365,816 Digital sampling instrument employing cache memory

  This patent was originally filed in 1990 and can be found in three other U.S. Patents (5,698,803 , 5,925,841 and 6,137,043) --- only the number has been changed to protect the innocent. The basic idea is to use a cache as an intermediary between the address unit of an interpolating sampling synthesizer and the sample memory.

• 6,366,545 Reproducing and recording apparatus, decoding apparatus, recording apparatus, reproducing and recording method, decoding method and recording method

  Sony's ATRAC coder was used in the Minidisk (tm). This patent notices that you can change the ``acoustic characteristics'' of the final output by scaling the coded parameters. Besides fade in and out, limiting and compression are also possible.

• 6,366,758 Musical cube

  In keeping with the inceased emphasis on early childhood musical education, this musical cube presents a set of progressively more complex musical material that is (1) Western (or tonal) (2) Melodic and (3) not too fast.

• 6,366,971 Audio system for playback of waveform sample data

  This patent describes the mechanisms behind a PCI audio card with multiple input channels and using burst transfers across the bus to an on-board memory. The patent is not written grammatically or with intent to be understood.

• 6,369,304 Selected percussion additions for stringed musical instruments

  Drumming the top plate of a guitar is a well known technique for adding percussive effects. The inventor proposes the addition of insertable percussion ``additions'' to the offset sound holes in commercial guitars. Additional miking may be required.

• 6,369,312 Method for expressing vibratory music and apparatus therefor

  Imagine a chair with infrasound -- in this case down to 16 Hz. The inventor claims that it is unsuitable for certain types of music (such as string quartets) but for heavy thumping rock and roll, this might be useful if the vibro-transducers can shake the user enough.

• 6,369,313 Method and apparatus for simulating a jam session and instructing a user in how to play the drums

  A coin operating drum set features a screen (107) and a set of drum sensors. A willing user is calibrated by the system to determine skill level and then a drumming game begins. Alternatively, the user can receive a drum lesson by repeating patterns the machine generates. Unfortunately, no algorithms are presented so performance measurement is anyone's guess.

• 6,371,053 Simulated mouse toy having a prerecorded sound chip therein

  The inventor claims that cats particularly enjoy squeaking mice. So, by inserting a sound chip (14) into the body of a mechanical mouse then your cat will be exercised and derive greater joy --- In 19 claims.

• 6,372,971 Modified stringed musical instrument

  The inventor has added a variable damper to the guitar bridge. It is claimed to ``reduces the stress on the musical instrument, improves the sound of the instrument and increases the operative life span of the instrument''.

• 6,372,973 Musical instruments that generate notes according to sounds and manually selected scales

  This conceptual patent proposes accompaniment to a vocal input but it lacks any reference to prior work on automatic accompaniment, much less DSP algorithms for pitch tracking and beat analysis.

• 6,372,974 Method and apparatus for sharing music content between devices

  This clearly patents the obvious. Infared transfer of data between calculators or computers has been used for many years. Change the device to an MP3 player and that's it.

• 6,376,757 Furniture incorporating a percussion instrument and method for forming the same

  The idea is simple enough: why not use a chair bottom as a xylophone? Or a bench, or a table, or possibly a door window... Of course, the keys must be of differing lengths or thickness. Unfortunately, notions of stress seem to be completely missing from the discussion.

• 6,380,472 ELECTRIC TUTOR FOR DIRECTLY INDICATING MANIPULATORS TO BE ACTUATED, MUSICAL INSTRUMENT WITH BUILT-IN ELECTRIC TUTOR, METHOD FOR GUIDING FINGERING AND INFORMATION STORAGE MEDIUM FOR STORING PROGRAM REPRESENTATIVE OF THE METHOD

  Teaching any instrument requires feedback from the student's performance. Here, Yamaha proposes using electromagnetic controls to partially depress the correct leys, thereby leading the student. Mechanically, this can be viewed as a follow-on the the large number of Disklavier (tm) patents.

• 6,380,473 Musical instrument equipped with synchronizer for plural parts of music

  The Yamaha Disklavier again. This time, the problem is how to provide an automatic accompaniment to a player who has a different tempo than the perfect computer. By inserting ``cue flags'' into the score, the machine can coursely resync. Given the current state of the art, this is crude technology.

• 6,388,183 Virtual musical instruments with user selectable and controllable mapping of position input to sound output

  The origin of the virtual baton dates back to Max Mathews at Bell Labs. The proposed improvement is to divide the 2D space into different instrumental control spaces. Furthermore, this can be customized by the user since it's just a soft XY map.

• 6,390,014 Acoustic signaling device for culinary-use vessels, in particular for kettles

  True tea afficianatos know that black teas demand 100 degree C water. Therefore, many tea kettles feature whistles to alert the brewer that the water has reached boiling. This patent claims that whistles are subject to clogging due to calcium deposits and therefore proposes a steam driven "clanger".

• 6,390,923 Music playing game apparatus, performance guiding image display method, and readable storage medium storing performance guiding image forming program

  Continuing the tradition of arcade contest of man versus machine, this patent compares human performance on an artificial drum or guitar against a known template. This is reminiscent of another recently reviewed patent, US 6,342,665.

• 6,392,132 Musical score display for musical performance apparatus

  Essentially, this is an automatic page turner for a piano player. Using an Automatic Speech Recognition system, the performer speaks a command and the display changes accordingly. However, good human page turners are silent and use Automatic Nod Recognition.

• 6,392,133 Automatic soundtrack generator

  This conceptual patent uses two pages and three claims to propose mixing an external audio track with an existing video track. Owing to the brevity, nothing close to real is described.

• 6,392,135 Musical sound modification apparatus and method

  This could have been an interesting and educational patent. But it lacks specificity and the translation of Japanese to English is poor including "truck" for "track", "memorized" for "stored" and so forth. The patent concerns the reuse of acoustic data by a MIDI stream digital instrument. The acoustic data is analyzed in to amplitude and frequency, with the frequency mistakenly called "timbre". The signal is also analyzed for attack, sustain, decay and release by unknown and undisclosed methohds. After being stored, these parameters can be recombined to make new sounds. If your only tool is a MIDI hammer, then you see all instruments as MIDI nails.

• 6,392,136 Musical tone generation structure of electronic musical instrument

  In a computer controlled piano like the Disklavier (tm), the strings can be damped so that no sound is audible. If so, then the electronics can generate the sound, but now the problem is how to make it "originate" from the piano. The solution is to use a set of loudspeakers in the lid. Uprights need not apply.

• 6,392,137 Polyphonic guitar pickup for sensing string vibrations in two mutually perpendicular planes

  Since Fender's original patent in 1961, electric guitar manufacturers use magnetic pickups for ferromagnetic strings. It is well known that vibrating strings exhibit both horizontal and vertical modes, so more than 20 years ago separate transducers for each mode were proposed. Here, the use of two sensors is proposed (25 and 27). These are fed to an RMS scaler and mixer.

• 6,392,576 Multiplierless interpolator for a delta-sigma digital to analog converter

  Delta Sigma converters use oversampling to achieve high SNR. However, there is a tradeoff between the oversampling rate and the processing speed required in the DSP circuitry. The inventors propose using interpolation and decimation combined with a Zero Order Hold and a lattice filter design. The lattice filter implementation is noteworthy for avoiding multiplication by using shifts and adds. The patent writing is clear and concise.

• 6,393,401 Picture display device with associated audio message

  In 2002, a "talking picture" has a different interpretation from the 1930s. Here, the inventors propose adding a sound storage chip that can be activated by a a switch on the picture frame. They also propose other systems that show the same sense of originality.

• 6,394,874 Apparatus and method of use for sound-generating finger puppet

  Sound generator chips can show up anywhere, including finger puppets. The finger can close a switch that activates a battery (24) powered microprocessor that outputs to a (very) small speaker (25). When will infrared communication for all 5 fingers be patented?

• 6,394,875 Bicycle mounted noise-making device

  Using a clothespin to attach a playing card to a bicycle's rear forks doesn't make the bike sound like a motorcycle. So, if you add a pipe and a horn, you can imitate various motorcycle sounds. The inventors claim "The flexible contact is designed to be easily replaceable, even by a child".

• 6,399,868 Sound effect generator and audio system

  Given a two channel (stereo) input, the question is how to produce a five channel output. The Roland uinit uses an unspecified multichannel reverb (12) followed by a low pass filter to create "presence" for the center (surround) channel. While low frequencies do add "presence", it does not make a soundfield or even close (contrary to claims of the patent).

• 6,399,870 Musical instruments incorporating loudspeakers

  Another NXT patent: place a vibration panel on the back of a electronic musical instrument. Evidently, they forgot to include this application in their application compendium (US Patent 6,332,029).

• 6,400,275 Auditory cues for notification of device activity

  Many devies, like toasters, lack neccessary and sufficient displays. So, when attaching such devices to a computer network, why not use audible tones to indicate the connection status? This obvious concept is the total sum of this patent.

• 6,402,580 Nearly headless nick noisemaker candy toy

  Harry Potter fans know Nearly Headless Nick. The inventors know they can reuse their earlier patent (US 5,855,500) to create a rattle with a skeleton head.

• 6,403,870 Apparatus and method for creating melody incorporating plural motifs

  Automatic composition has been attempted by various musicians since the creation of the digital computer. As usual with Yamaha patents, many critical details such as motive variation are not detailed (and are barely mentioned). The inventor seems totally unaware of the large body of work on using generative grammars for analysis and composition (e.g. Lerdahl and Jackendoff).

• 6,403,871 Tone generation method based on combination of wave parts and tone-generating-data recording method and apparatus

  Essentially, this patents the user interface for a waveform editor. Each waveform has the following time domain representations: waveform, pitch, amplitude, "spectral template" and "time template". These names are completely arbitrary since Yamaha says nothing about how these "templates" are created from acoustic sounds. Further, they say nothing about how to resynthesize notes from this representation. Perhaps this will become clear in a later patent.

• 6,403,872 Keyboard musical instrument faithfully reproducing original performance without complicated tuning and music data generating system incorporated therein

  Yet another Disklavier (tm) patent, this time focussing on the hammer/string interface. Eleven different embodiments are disclosed.