ES2629988A1 - Tonal sphere games (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) - Google Patents

Abstract

Tonal spheres game. The present invention relates to a set of tonal spheres. Basically, each sphere is associated with a semitone of the musical scale. Each sphere is an inflatable ball, similar to plastic balls to play by throwing. It can hit and bounce like any ball. But when it is thrown or struck, it emits the musical note to which it is associated and the light of the corresponding color. Internally it has an electrical circuit that allows it to emit sounds and lights, as well as communicate with other devices such as mobile phones or other electronic devices. This feature allows you to acquire various behaviors useful for teaching music. (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)

Description

DESCRIPTION

Game of tonal spheres.

Field of application of the invention 5

The invention falls within the field of musical instruments and resources for musical learning.

State of the art 10

Currently, there are many musical instruments, as well as various devices for teaching music.

Musical instruments have as their objective the generation of music. But although some of them allow us to visualize concepts of musical theory, they are usually intended to make music, but not to teach music.

Current musical instruments lack characteristics that allow them to identify the concepts of musical theory by abstracting from the nature of the instrument. They do not have resources that allow them to focus only on the concept of musical note and its various combinations to build musical works. This fact represents an important disadvantage when it comes to teaching music.

Description of the invention

Game of tonal spheres.

The present invention relates to a set of tonal spheres. Basically, each sphere is associated with a semitone of the musical scale (figure 1). 30

Each sphere is an inflatable ball, similar to plastic balls to play by throwing them. It can be hit and dropped like any ball. Externally, their color and size are associated with the semitone they represent, within the musical scale. Each ball can emit several sounds, but mainly it emits the sound of the note that it represents within the musical scale (figure 1).

Internally, they contain an electronic circuit (element 1 in figure 2) that allows you to emit sounds and lights, as well as communicate with computing devices, such as tablets, smartphones, computers or others. Said electronic circuit also has 40 pressure and motion sensors that allow it to detect when the ball is being hit or dropped.

The circuit also integrates a radio frequency transmitter, the signal of which can be received by a receiver to be amplified, similar to what happens with a wireless microphone. It also has an internal rechargeable battery that supplies the electronic system. On the surface of the ball, similar to the inflation valve of traditional plastic balls, there is a connector that allows the internal battery to be charged by means of an external charger (element 2 in figure 2) ). fifty

This set of balls that represent the musical notes, allows to visualize the musical notes and identify them by means of sound and light, as well as their combinations to form chords, and their sequences to form melodies.

An embodiment of the invention

We present below an embodiment of the invention, without this particular mode of embodiment being limiting of its scope.

The present invention can be carried out by means of a set of plastic balls, each with a size and color associated with the halftone they represent (Figure 1). Inside each of these balls, a module, in the form of a cube, is inserted which is placed in the center of the ball (figure 2). On each side of this cube, there is attached an elastic cord (element 3 in figure 2), attached by one of its ends to one of the sides of the cube and on the other, to the inner wall of the plastic ball, with so that the electronic module is located in the center of the ball, held in all directions, but elastic. fifteen

Getting the elastic strings to cushion the blows suffered by the ball, so that the devices stored in the electronic module do not suffer any damage.

In the cube-shaped interior module (element 1 in figure 2), the 20 electronic circuits necessary for the ball to emit sounds, light and communicate with other electronic devices are housed.

This electronic module will consist of a microprocessor system with the resources of RAM and non-volatile memory, as well as the interface resources necessary for its operation. The circuit also incorporates a blueTooth connection system, a Wi-Fi network system and a radio frequency transmitter, wireless microphone type. It also has mechanisms for the emission and reception of sound, as well as a system of emission of LED light in the three basic colors, to be able to emit light, by mixing, in various color combinations. 30

The system also has a pressure sensor, which will be activated, by the variation of pressure inside the ball when it is hit, as well as an inertia sensor, which will be activated when inertia appears on the ball due to its movement.

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The electronic system also has a rechargeable battery connected to a connector that is located, embedded in the outer wall of the ball, as if it were an inflation valve of the ball (item 2 in Figure 2). The battery can be charged externally from this connector.

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The same charging connector, recessed as if it were an inflation valve (element 2 in figure 2), can incorporate a switch that allows the internal computer system to be activated and deactivated mechanically. This switch can be operated by turning on the power connector.

 Four. Five

As for the software needed for the computer system, this could be developed on a very simple core of the Linux operating system, and a code layer that allows it to perform basic functionality, consisting of loading the system's boot tasks and keeping up Listen, to be able to load from the outside, through the Wi-Fi connection or the Bluetooth connection, various programs that can be executed on the microprocessor to provide it with the functionality that is initially desired and in the future.

The most basic programs will be those that activate a specific light and sound when blows are detected in the ball.

But the functional possibilities are open to any program that is developed in the future with the possibilities that appear in response to the hardware resources that the system possesses.

The tonal spheres can be stored in a box, which has, internally, a charging connector for each of them and externally a connector to the network. Inside the box there is a transformer that converts the mains current to the voltage 10 necessary for the charging of the spheres and allows the simultaneous connection of all the internal charging connectors. The box can also integrate a series of radio frequency receivers that allow the reception of the radio frequency signal emitted by the balls, their amplification and the emission of the corresponding sound by the speakers that can also be integrated in the box (as a system of wireless microphone 15).

Description of the drawings

In figure 1, the set of tonal spheres can be seen, each associated with the corresponding musical note 20. In this figure, each ball is associated with its corresponding note as indicated below:

- Element 1 is associated with the DO note

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- Element 2 is associated with the sustained DO note

- Element 3 is associated with the RE note

- Element 4 is associated with the sustained RE note 30

- Element 5 is associated with the MI note

- Element 6 is associated with the note FA

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- Element 7 is associated with the sustained FA note

- Element 8 is associated with the SOL note

- Element 9 is associated with the sustained SOL note 40

- Element 10 is associated with the note LA

- Element 11 is associated with the sustained LA note

 Four. Five

- Element 12 is associated with the SI note

In figure 2 a tonal sphere can be seen in detail, in which a section has been made in order to visualize the electrical circuit it contains inside (element 1 in figure 2). Also shown in this figure 2, element 2, which corresponds to the battery charge connector that incorporates the internal electronic circuit. Finally, this figure shows the elastic wires that elastically fix the electrical circuit in the center of the ball (type 3 elements in Figure 2).

Industrial application

The industrial application of the present invention will be carried out in the field of music education.

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Claims (5)

1. Game of tonal spheres, characterized by being a set of spheres that can be thrown and struck, with the property that each of them generates a sound corresponding to the tone that it represents within the musical scale. 5 2. Set of tonal spheres, according to claim 1, which is characterized by having an internal electronic circuit that allows it to detect when the sphere has been struck or thrown away, also allows it to generate sounds and emit lights.  10 3. Set of tonal spheres, according to claims 1 to 2, characterized in that its internal electronic circuit allows it to communicate electronically with other electronic devices such as other tonal spheres, smartphones, tablets, audio amplifiers or other electronics devices.  fifteen 4. Set of tonal spheres, according to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each sphere has a connector that allows it to charge the internal battery that feeds the electronic circuit it contains. 5. Set of tonal spheres, according to claims 1 to 4, which is characterized in that it can be stored in a box that has power connectors to connect all the spheres so that their batteries are charged at the time when they are stored inside the box. This box has a single external connector, which plugs into the mains and distributes the power to the rest of the internal connectors that feed the spheres. Said box may contain the necessary audio amplification and generation resources to amplify the signal generated by the spheres.  30