EP4641559A1

EP4641559A1 - Opposing-side momentary switch ensemble for rapid command execution

Info

Publication number: EP4641559A1
Application number: EP24172303.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: George-Adrian ANTON; Anca-Iulia Dobos; Ionut Ion
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2024-04-24
Filing date: 2024-04-24
Publication date: 2025-10-29

Abstract

A switch ensemble for use with an electric instrument or with a digital interface controller device, comprising: a solid body; a first and a second momentary switch mechanisms, each configured to alter the signal's transmission from said electric instrument or controller to a destination system upon actuation, and to revert to their respective default states upon release; in which the first momentary switch mechanism is located on a first side of the solid body, so that a user's finger presses the first momentary switch mechanism against the solid body to actuate it; and the second momentary switch mechanism is located on a second side of the solid body, substantially opposite to the first side, so that a user's finger presses the second momentary switch mechanism against the solid body and in a direction substantially opposite to the first one to actuate it.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION:

The present invention refers to a control unit for electric or electronic devices, like a control panel for an electric music instrument or sound effect, a MIDI controller or the likes. In particular, it refers to a control unit equipped with momentary switches.
The present document claims protection for a group of momentary
switches, disposed in respect of each other so that they can be actuated alternatively or simultaneously with one hand, with very high speed and rhythmic accuracy.
The present invention is applicable to any electric or electronic device interface. This paper describes the use of the present invention in the field of music production. This is solely a use case that was chosen for proving the advantages of the invention, but said advantages are not limited to the present usage scenario.

STATE OF THE ART:

Real time music performance can imply the usage of electric microphones, electric music instruments, electronic synthesizers, electric sound effects, computers and digital interface controller devices for software instruments and effects.
Electric devices that generate electric signal or capture sounds and transform them into electric signal, are commonly referred to as electric instruments. Most common electric instruments include microphones, electric guitars, electric violins, electric pianos, electronic synthesizers, drum machines etc.
Electric devices that transform signal generated by instruments and deliver an altered version of the respective input signal, are commonly referred to as electric sound effects. Most common electric sound effects include distortion, compression, delay, reverb, flanger, phaser, pitch-shifting, panning, equalization etc.
In relation to a sound effect, the initial unaltered signal is commonly referred to as "dry" signal, whereas the signal altered by the effect is commonly referred to as "wet" signal.
Both instruments and sound effects are provided with user interfaces that allow the user to generate and shape desired sounds by the rhythmic playing of several components like keys, strings, push buttons, toggle switches, potentiometers etc.
In analogically produced music, the electric instrument is at the very beginning of the signal chain, then several effects can be connected in specific order, and at the end of the signal chain there is usually an amplification or recording system.
In digitally produced music, the whole signal chain containing both instruments and effects is replaced by software programs. The software programs that replace music instruments are commonly referred to as virtual instruments, and the software programs that replace sound effects are commonly referred to as virtual sound effects.
Virtual instruments generate encoded information, which is processed and altered by virtual effects. Said encoded information is finally transformed into an electric signal by an audio interface, commonly known as a "sound card". An audio interface is a piece of computer hardware that allows the input and output of analog audio signals to and from a host computer.
Both virtual instruments and virtual sound effects are provided with user interfaces that are usually displayed on a computer screen. For real time music performance, in most cases users connect hardware interface controller devices to their computers. The most common communication protocol for interface controller devices is MIDI (Music Instrument Digital Interface). MIDI controllers often replicate the exact shape of piano keyboards, guitars or drum machines, to enable musicians to use their dexterity to generate and shape desired sounds by rhythmic playing of said controllers' several components like keys, strings, push buttons, toggle switches, potentiometers etc.
Despite their very similar appearance, the difference between an electric instrument and its MIDI controller version is that while the electric instrument generates electric signal ready to be amplified or altered by a sound effect, the MIDI controller only sends digitally encoded information to a computer, said encoded information being used to trigger specific actions performed by the virtual instruments and virtual sound effects installed in the host computer.
In general, user interfaces of electric instruments, electric sound effects and digital interface controller devices are characterized by the presence of a multitude of switches. Their function can vary from starting or stopping generating sounds, to engaging and disengaging sound effects applied to existing sounds. The majority of said switches are momentary. They do their function upon actuation, and revert to their respective default states upon release.
The user can create rhythmic sounds by simply pressing said momentary switches in rhythmic patterns.
In many cases, musicians create pleasing sonic sections by generating or altering sounds at very high speeds.
Electric guitars or synthesizers for instance, are often played at speeds higher than 20 notes per second.
Some effects also need to be engaged and disengaged from the signal chain at similar rates per second.
Some electric guitars and synthesizers are equipped with momentary switches in the form of push buttons, that allow the users to rhythmically interrupt the sound by pressing them, in order to obtain an effect commonly referred to as "slicer" or "gate" effect. Such buttons are commonly known as killswitches.
Any momentary switch, be it a killswitch or a switch with a different function like activating or deactivating a sound effect from the signal chain, constrains the user to only press it a maximum number of times per second, that the user is by his anatomy and dexterity able to achieve. We will consider the maximum to be 10 times per second, for ease of explanation.
Any press of a momentary switch requires the user to perform two movements with their hand: the act of directing their hand towards the button, and the act of retracting their hand in the opposite direction. No matter the position of the switch, the arm muscles involved in the first movement and the muscles involved in the second movement are different, and they work in substantially opposite directions. By consequence, in order to achieve a speed of 10 pushes of a single button in a second, the user has to perform 20 hand movements. The efforts of repeatedly retracting their hand from the button are essentially a loss of time and energy.
While analog music production technology has no solution to increase the speed of actuation of said switches, digital music production technology offers automation solutions.
Several software programs and programmable digital hardware devices achieve higher speeds of switching the sound "on" and "off", or switching between "dry" and "wet" signal, i.e. activating and deactivating sound effects, through automation processes.
The disadvantages of using automation based technology is that the user no longer has real-time control over the rhythmic patterns that are being played, and programming the respective rhythmic patterns for automation in advance is a very time consuming process.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:

The object of the present invention is to provide a switch ensemble according to appended claims, whose momentary switches are disposed in respect of each other so that they can be actuated alternatively or simultaneously with one hand, with very high speed and accuracy.
In particular, the switch ensemble for use with an electric instrument or with a digital interface controller device, comprises a solid body, provided with a first and a second momentary switch mechanisms, each configured to alter the signal's transmission from said electric instrument or controller to a destination system upon actuation, and to revert to their respective default states upon release.
The first momentary switch mechanism is located on a first side of the solid body, so that a user's finger presses the first momentary switch mechanism against the solid body to actuate it.
The second momentary switch mechanism is located on a second side of the solid body, substantially opposite to the first side, so that a user's finger presses the second momentary switch mechanism against the solid body and in a direction substantially opposite to the first one to actuate it.
A common body to host two momentary switches on opposite faces enables the movement of retracting the hand from one momentary switch that was recently pressed with the thumb for instance, into a new actuation of another momentary switch with identical or different function, with the index or middle finger for example. The advantages of the present invention are that

1) The switch ensemble according to the invention enables the user to increase the speed of actuation of momentary commands, by transforming the movement of retracting the hand from a certain momentary switch into a new actuation of another momentary switch with identical or different function, placed on a surface substantially opposite to the surface on which the first momentary switch is installed.
2) The user has real-time control over the rhythmic sequences of actuation of the switches, which implies not using any type of automation or programmed impulses to be generated in the absence of an actual human actuation.
3) The device is simple in structure, relatively inexpensive and easy to manufacture, and whose functions are naturally obvious, i.e. it is easily understandable and operable by the user. Furthermore, it can be easily adapted to multiple types of devices.

BRIEF LIST OF THE FIGURES:

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will be more evident by the review of the following specification of the preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment, which is depicted for illustration purposes only and without limitation, with the aid of the attached drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the left and front sides of the preferred embodiment of the invention.
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the right and rear sides of the preferred embodiment of the invention.
Fig. 3a is a view of a human hand with the thumb T pressing the momentary switch 11 on the left side of the preferred embodiment of the invention.
Fig. 3b represents a transitory stage on the trajectory of the hand retraction movement, after pressing the momentary switch 11 on the left side with the thumb T, right before hitting one of the momentary switches 12, 13 on the opposite side with one of the thumb-opposing fingers F.
Fig. 3c is a view of said human hand with the finger F pressing one of the momentary switches 12, 13 on the right side of the preferred embodiment of the invention.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view from above of an electric guitar, with the device according to the invention, installed left-side-up on the body 101 of the guitar.
Fig. 5 is a perspective view from below of an electric guitar, with the device according to the invention, installed left-side-up on the body 101 of the guitar.
Fig. 6 is a front-left perspective view of an electric piano or MIDI controller keyboard, with the device according to the invention installed on the upper side of the body 102.
Fig. 7 is a front-right perspective view of an electric piano or MIDI controller keyboard, with the device according to the invention installed on the upper side of the body 102.
Fig. 8 is a front-left perspective view of an electric piano or MIDI controller keyboard, with the solid body 1 of the device according to the invention integrally formed within the upper surface of the body 102 of the electric piano or MIDI controller keyboard.
Fig. 9 is a front perspective view of an electric piano or MIDI controller keyboard, with the solid body of the device according to the invention integrally formed within the upper surface of the body 102 of the electric piano or MIDI controller keyboard.
Fig. 10 is a front-right perspective view of an electric piano or MIDI controller keyboard, with the solid body 1 of the device according to the invention integrally formed within the upper surface of the body 102 of the electric piano or MIDI controller keyboard.
Fig. 11 is a perspective view from below of the device according to the invention, further comprising a mounting mechanism 3 for attaching the solid body to a cylindrical body.
Fig. 12 is a perspective view from below of the device according to the invention provided with a mounting mechanism 3, attached to the cylindrical body of a microphone stand 103.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION:

A first embodiment of the switch ensemble for use with an electric instrument or with a digital interface controller device, comprises:

a solid body 1;
a first and a second momentary switch mechanisms 11, 12, each configured to alter the signal's transmission from said electric instrument or controller to a destination system upon actuation, and to revert to their respective default states upon release; in which the first momentary switch mechanism 11 is located on a first side of the solid body, so that a user's finger T presses the first momentary switch mechanism 11 against the solid body 1 to actuate it;
and the second momentary switch mechanism 12 is located on a second side of the solid body 1, substantially opposite to the first side, so that a user's finger F presses the second momentary switch mechanism 12 against the solid body 1 and in a direction substantially opposite to the first one T to actuate it.
For example, in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 , the device according to the invention is composed of a solid body 1 with a section shaped like an inverted letter T, serving two functions.
the solid body 1 acts as a base plate, assuring the attachment of the device to a fixed, flat surface.

Preferably, said solid body 1 also presents a relatively perpendicular protuberance that extends upwards from the base plate, in the form of a two-sided wall.
On both sides of said wall, momentary switches 11, 12, 13 are installed, so that a user's thumb T and opposing fingers F can press the momentary switch mechanisms 11 and 12, 13 respectively, against the solid body 1 and
in substantially opposite directions to actuate them, as shown in Fig. 3a, 3b, 3c .
In a preferred embodiment the device according to the invention can be equipped with a mounting mechanism 3 for attachment to cylindrical bodies, as shown in Fig. 11 and Fig. 12 . In this way the device according to the invention can be used for electric instruments like microphones, which are generally not provided with any flat surfaces,
In a more preferred embodiment, one of the two sides of the device according to the invention is provided with more than one momentary switch 11, 12, 13.
Since the vast majority of the users are right-handed, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the left side of the solid body 1 corresponds to the side that comes in contact with the thumb T and therefore is provided with one momentary switch 11, as seen in Fig. 1 , while the opposite side corresponds to the side that comes in contact with either of the thumb-opposing fingers F and therefore it was provided with more than one momentary switch 12, 13, as seen in Fig. 2 .
The reason why two momentary switches 12, 13 were provided on the right side of the solid body 1 is that the fingers F with the highest dexterity and the most frequently used in conjunction with the thumb T are the index finger and the middle finger.
In cases where the user prefers installing the device according to the invention to their instrument permanently, as seen in Fig. 4, Fig. 5 , Fig. 6, Fig. 7 , the wires that connect the momentary switches 11, 12, 13 to specific controls of the electric instrument can pass through a hole in the surface of the instrument body 101, 102, drilled underneath the base plate of the device's solid body 1.
Preferably, i.e. for maximizing the versatility of the device according to the invention, the solid body 1 is provided with a multi-core connector like an audio jack socket 2, internally connected to each of the momentary switches 11, 12, 13.
The instruments or sound effects to be controlled with the device according to the invention can thus be connected to the device according to the invention through an audio cable inserted in said device's jack socket 2 on one end, and in existing jack sockets of instruments or sound effects on the other end.
An even more preferred setup, combinable with any of the embodiments of the present invention, can include a wireless transmitter inside the solid body 1, that communicates with one or more wireless receivers connected to the instruments or effects to be controlled.
Wireless transmitting technologies that can be used for transmitting the impulses generated include radio, Wi-Fi Direct, or Bluetooth.
One main advantage of using detachable cables or wireless transmission, is that the device according to the invention can be easily installed or uninstalled from an electric instrument very fast and without irreversible changes done to the respective instrument.
Another main advantage is that the device according to the invention can be positioned so that it is easily accessible to the user while playing an instrument, as seen in Fig. 4, Fig. 5 , Fig. 6, Fig. 7 , Fig. 12 , while being used to control electric instruments or sound effects that are placed further away from the place where the device according to the invention is physically installed.
While placed in the proximity of the playing hands of a guitarist or piano keyboard player for example, as seen in Fig. 4, Fig. 5 , Fig. 6, Fig. 7 , the device according to the invention can be connected through an audio cable or a wireless transmitting technology, to control sound effect devices that are placed on a stage floor, or in a studio rack, meters away from said guitarist or piano keyboard player.
Since the use of certain electric instruments or MIDI controllers highly depends on fast and rhythmically accurate actuation of momentary switches, the permanent existence of a switch ensemble according to the invention can prove to be a necessary part of the user interface of said instruments or MIDI controllers. In this case, a highly durable and inexpensive solution is to have the solid body 1 of the device according to the invention integrally formed within a surface of the body of the electric instrument or MIDI controller 102.
A non-limiting embodiment of this usage scenario for an electric piano keyboard or a piano keyboard shaped MIDI controller can be seen in Fig. 8, Fig. 9 and Fig. 10 .
Several arrays of switch ensembles according to the invention can be integrally formed within the body surface and/or user interface of an electric instrument or MIDI controller.
The foregoing detailed description is to be clearly understood as given by way of illustration and example only, it will be appreciated that other forms could readily be adapted by one skilled in the art. Accordingly, the spirit and scope of this invention being limited solely by the appended claims.

Claims

A switch ensemble for use with an electric instrument or with a digital interface controller device, comprising:
a solid body (1);

a first and a second momentary switch mechanisms (11, 12), each configured to alter the signal's transmission from said electric instrument or controller to a destination system upon actuation, and to revert to their respective default states upon release;

in which the first momentary switch mechanism (11) is located on a first side of the solid body, so that a user's finger (T) presses the first momentary switch mechanism (11) against the solid body (1) to actuate it;

and the second momentary switch mechanism (12) is located on a second side of the solid body (1), substantially opposite to the first side, so that a user's finger (F) presses the second momentary switch mechanism (12) against the solid body (1) and in a direction substantially opposite to the first one (T) to actuate it.
The switch ensemble of claim 1, wherein the first and/or the second switch mechanism comprises a button, lever, or other actuator configured to be operated by a user (11, 12, 13).
The switch ensemble of claim 1 or 2, wherein the alteration of the signal's transmission implies either interruption or continuation of the signal, or engaging and disengaging of a certain effect applied to the signal based on the switch mechanism's (11, 12, 13) default state.
The switch ensemble of any preceding claim wherein both the wiring and each of the switch mechanisms (11, 12, 13) are multiple, so that the whole switch ensemble alters multiple electric signals simultaneously, as a result of a single actuation.
The switch ensemble of any preceding claim wherein the solid body (1) is made of a durable material such as metal or hard plastic.
The switch ensemble of claim 2, wherein the first and/or the second switch mechanism (11, 12, 13) comprises a button configured to provide tactile feedback to the user when pressed.
The switch ensemble of any preceding claim, wherein the electric instrument is a dynamic microphone, an electric guitar, bass, violin, keyboard, MIDI controller, sound mixer or DJ console.
The switch ensemble of any preceding claim, wherein the surface for attaching the mounting mechanism (101, 102, 103) is a body, board, neck, stand or headstock (101, 102, 103) of an instrument or controller device.
The switch ensemble of claim 9 which is positioned on the body of an electric instrument (101, 102) such that it is easily accessible to the user while playing the instrument.
The switch ensemble of any preceding claim, comprising more than one momentary switch mechanism (12, 13) on any of the two sides of the solid body.
The switch ensemble of any preceding claim wherein one or more of the switch mechanisms (11, 12, 13) are wired or programmed independently from the other switch mehanisms, so that the whole switch ensemble alters the electric signals in different ways depending on which of the switch mechanisms (11, 12, 13) are being actuated.
The switch ensemble of any preceding claim further comprising a mounting mechanism (3) for attaching the solid body to a surface of the electric instrument or controller device.
The switch ensemble of claims 1-12 wherein the solid body (1) is integrally formed within a surface (102) of the electric instrument or controller device.
The switch ensemble of claims 1-12 whose electric or electronic circuitry is wirelessly connected to the controlled instrument or effect.
The switch ensemble of claims 1-12 whose electric or electronic circuitry is connected to the controlled instrument or effect, through a detachable cable.