Smart Acoustic Drum and Sing Music System

Abstract

A system that wirelessly integrates actual drum equipment and singing equipment with a computer and the internet to allow musicians and or singers remotely located from one another to play music and or a competitive real or simulated music and or singing competition. An individual musician may opt to play music solo or practice to improve basic music, drumming, and or singing techniques. The system includes smart music and drum systems, an audio detection system, and drum motion sensing devices, all containing circuits and contact sensors or motion sensors, coupled with signal processing and radio frequency transmitter circuitry, thereby wirelessly communicating game performance information to a remote receiver-computer. The computer displays musician and or singing information, and visually simulates and controls a music and or a singing competition between two or more musicians, via the internet, having similar equipment and remotely located from each other. Standard drum sets may be retrofitted with the sensors and associated circuitry to convert such drum sets into “smart drum sets” for use with the system. Standard microphones may be retrofitted with the sensors and associated circuitry to convert such microphones into “smart microphones” for use with the system. The system employs specially developed computer software to process musician performance data, control the music competition, communicate music and information between musicians and or singers, generate and control visual simulations, and display singer and or musician performance information.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computerized interactive music and singing system comprising a local, and a remote player site; comprising a music implement, comprising: a drum; a drumstick; a musical instrument; and a smart microphone, comprising: a microphone with a sensor, attachable and or detachable to said musical instrument, said drum, and or said drumsticks; a first array of sensors, mounted on the face side of said drumhead of said drum; a second array of sensors, comprising a contact sensor mounted to said microphone; a first computer, programmed to process data derived from data acquired by said first and said second sensor arrays; a first communication link, for transmitting data derived from said data acquired by said first sensor array to said first computer; a second communication link, for transmitting data derived from said data acquired by said second sensor array to said first computer; a second computer, programmed to communicate with a remote player site; a display monitor, connected to said second computer; a third communication link, for transmitting data derived from said data acquired by said first computer to said second computer; and a fourth communication link, for transmitting data derived from said data acquired by said second computer to said first computer; wherein said second computer is further programmed to analyze the performance data of a person drumming said drum and or playing said musical instrument, and or acoustic data from said microphone. 
     
     
         2 . The computerized interactive music and singing system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said first computer is further programmed to send the results of said performance analysis to said second computer upon completion of said performance analysis via said third communications link. 
     
     
         3 . The computerized interactive music and singing system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said second sensor array, comprises a motion sensing device and or a motion detector, mounted internally and or externally to said drum set and or said musical instrument, and or internally or externally to said smart microphone or a sound implement. 
     
     
         4 . The computerized interactive music and singing system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said first sensor array comprises piezo-active transducers, and or drum-triggers, and or pressure sensors, and or force sensors. 
     
     
         5 . The computerized interactive music and singing system as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising electronic circuitry for outputting to said first communications link, a signal representing the energy, and momentum, of a drumstick contact event with said drum, derived from data acquired by said first sensor array. 
     
     
         6 . The computerized interactive music and singing system as recited in  claim 5 , wherein said electronic circuitry comprises a computing device mounted to said drum, and or a drum set, and or said musical instrument, and or said smart microphone, programmed to convert data acquired by said first sensor array, and said second sensor array, into a time-multiplexed serial digital data stream, containing a respective binary-coded word for each channel. 
     
     
         7 . The computerized interactive music and singing system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said second computer further comprises a competition server, connected to said second computer via a network, comprising a fourth communication link, wherein said second computer is further programmed to process data from said music implement, and or the competition server, representing the user performance of a competition at a remote site during the turn of said competitor; wherein said competition server selects remote players from a queue of awaiting players in response to a first musician, and or singer, indicating a readiness to compete. 
     
     
         8 . The competition server system as recited in  claim 7 , wherein said music implement, and or said competition server, is programmed to establish connections amongst subscribing players at a plurality of remote locations via said network. 
     
     
         9 . The competition server system as recited in  claim 7 , wherein said second computer is further programmed to create, and manage, a plurality of music and singing games, and or music and singing competitors, wherein said music and singing games comprise one or more first computers of opponents connected to said first computers, wherein each first computer comprises a network port for connecting to said network, a serial data port for receiving a serial data stream from a respective set of sensors designed to detect the motion of a respective music implement and or singing equipment items being manipulated by a respective musician and or a singer, and a port for connecting to its respective display monitor, wherein each first computer is programmed to perform the following: processing the digital data stream from said respective set of sensors into music and or singing game data; having a format representing music and or singing game results for said first computer player; controlling the respective display monitor via said second computer to provide visual feedback concerning the progress of the game; transmitting said game data from said first computer to said second computer that comprises data to be transmitted to said competition server; and said second computer polling said competition server for receipt of game data, and or messages, from opponents at remote sites. 
     
     
         10 . The computerized interactive music and singing system as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising an electronic drum set and or a standard drum set, retrofitted with electronic devices, and an electronic smart microphone and or a standard microphone, retrofitted with electronic devices, operatively connected to said first computer. 
     
     
         11 . A computerized interactive drum and music system, wherein said first computer programming comprises: a serial port listener software program, that receives acquired data from said first sensor array and said second sensor array; a socket event listener, that receives data from said competition server; and a main thread for alternately processing data received by either said socket event listener or said serial port listener in accordance with a sports competition format; wherein acquired data from said first sensor array, and said second sensor array, are processed by said first computer and the results are sent to said competition server only if data has been previously received from said competition server indicating that it is that musician and or singer's turn to play a music implement, and or sing, and or play a sound implement, otherwise, acquired data from said drum set, said drum set motion sensing device, said microphone, and or said computer, and or an audio system, is ignored if data has been previously received from said competition server indicating that it is a remote player's turn to play a musical implement and or sing; wherein controlling the reception of data received from said first sensor array, and said second sensor array is allowed only during that musician's and or singer's turn to play, thus allowing and controlling sequential play, the use of one or more said music implements, and or said drum sets, and the use of one or more said microphones. 
     
     
         12 . The computerized interactive music and singing system as recited in  claim 5 , wherein said computer programming further comprises musician training software, providing training as a function of the data received from said music implement, said drum set, said drum motion sensing device, and said audio system. 
     
     
         13 . The computerized interactive music and singing system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said second computer further comprises audible drumming music image simulation and display software for displaying images that simulate the results of said performance analysis. 
     
     
         14 . A computerized interactive drum system comprising: a drum; a drumstick; and a smart microphone, comprising a microphone with a sensor, attachable and or detachable to said drum; a drumstick; a row of sensors, mounted on said face of said drum set, for acquiring data from respective channels, and said acquired data representing a force, a time of contact, an energy, a frequency, and a position of impact of a drumstick relative to each impacted sensor on drumhead; an accelerometer, attached to said drum set, a music and or singing tool, a music implement, and or an audio implement, to detect spatial translational motion and or rotational orientation of a drumstick, adapted to sense acceleration along three orthogonal axes; a first computer having a data input port for receiving data and an output port for communicating with said display monitor of said first computer; a first communications link, for communicating data derived from said impact data acquired by said sensor array in said respective channels to said data input port. 
     
     
         15 . The computerized interactive music and singing system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said first communications link comprises a wireless transmitter housed inside and or attached to said drum set, and or smart microphone, and a wireless receiver coupled to an input port of said first computer. 
     
     
         16 . The computerized interactive music and singing system as recited in  claim 7 , wherein said second computer further comprises audible image simulation and or display software for the display of real and or simulated musical implement images, and of participants, and the results of said performance analysis. 
     
     
         17 . The computerized interactive music and singing system as recited in  claim 7 , wherein said second computer programming further comprises single local and remote musician training software providing training as a function of the data received from said drum, said drum motion sensing device, and said audio system. 
     
     
         18 . The computerized interactive music and singing system as recited in  claim 5 , wherein said second communications link further comprises a wireless transmitter mounted inside said audio system, and a wireless receiver, coupled to an input port of said first computer. 
     
     
         19 . The computerized interactive drum system of  claim 14 , wherein the first computer is adapted for at least one of identifying a stroke, recognizing an event, inferring the commencement of the event, inferring the conclusion of the event, identifying the stroke cycle, a measure of force, and a time duration, based on at least some of the information sensed by said first sensor array. 
     
     
         20 . The computerized interactive music and smart singing system as recited in  claim 17 , wherein said second computer is further programmed to create and manage a plurality of games for musicians, wherein said games comprise one or more said computers of musical opponents connected to said first computers; wherein, each first computer comprises a network port for connecting to said network, a serial data port for receiving a serial data stream from a respective set of sensors designed to detect the motion of respective musical implements and or equipment items being manipulated by a respective musician, wherein each first computer is programmed to perform the following: processing the digital data stream from said respective set of sensors into game data, having a format representing game results of said musician; providing visual feedback concerning the progress of the game to said second computer operatively connected to the display monitor; transmitting said game data from said first computer to said second computer, comprising data from said music implements and or said drum sets.