Percussion input device for personal computer systems

Abstract

A percussion system including at least one force transducer developing a variable resistance output based upon a force exerted upon its surface, an interface providing an interface output based upon the analog output of the force transducer, and a digital processing system coupled to the interface. The analog input is preferably a variable resistance, and the interface output is preferably a pulse having a width related to the variable resistance. The interface preferably includes a capacitive member to form an RC circuit with the force transducer, and circuitry responsive to the RC circuit to produce a digital output. The digital processing system stores the digital output of the interface in memory and processes the digital output with other digital outputs of the interface to perform a computer implemented process such as producing a synthesized drum sound. The percussion device preferably includes a transducer element sandwiched between two elastomeric members which are configured and sized to operate both as a percussive input device and as a mouse pad for the personal computer system.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A percussion system comprising: at least one force transducer developing a variable resistance output based upon a percussive force exerted upon a surface thereof;   an interface having at least at least one input and at least one output, said input being coupled to said output of said force transducer, said interface having a capacitive member coupled to said input such that said force transducer and said capacitive member together form an RC circuit, and means responsive to said RC circuit and operative to produce an output signal on said at least one output of said interface which is responsive to said percussive force exerted on said surface of said force transducer; and   a digital processing system including memory means, said digital processing system being coupled to said output of said interface such that a digital value at said output can be stored in a memory location of said memory means, whereby said value at said memory location is reflective of said percussive force being exerted on said surface of said force transducer.   
     
     
       2. A percussion system as recited in claim .[.I.]. .Iadd.1 .Iaddend.wherein said force transducer is one of a plurality of force transducers, and wherein said interface has a plurality of inputs and corresponding plurality of outputs, where each input is coupled to an output of a force transducer and to a capacitive member to form an RC circuit, and means responsive to each RC circuit to produce an output signal on an associated output of said interface. 
     
     
       3. A percussion system as recited in claim 1 wherein said means responsive to said RC circuit comprises a one-shot circuit. 
     
     
       4. A percussion system as recited in claim 3 wherein said one-shot circuit includes a first NAND gate and a second NAND gate, where a first input of said first NAND gate is coupled to a trigger input, a second input of said first NAND gate is coupled to an output of said second NAND gate, a first input of said second NAND gate is coupled to an output of said first NAND gate, a second input of said second NAND gate is coupled to a node between said capacitive member and said force transducer, said digital output being provided at said output of said first NAND gate. 
     
     
       5. A percussion system as recited in claim 4 wherein said capacitive member is further coupled to said output of said first NAND gate, and said force transducer is further coupled to said output of said second NAND gate. 
     
     
       6. A percussion system as recited in claim 1 wherein said force transducer comprises: a transducer element; and   an elastomeric member having an upper surface and a lower surface, said transducer element being mechanically coupled to said lower surface, said elastomeric member having a consistency that transmits forces applied to said upper surface to said lower surface with a substantially linear response.   
     
     
       7. A percussion system as recited in claim 6 wherein said elastomeric member is a first elastomeric member, and wherein said force transducer further includes a second elastomeric member having an upper surface and a lower surface, said transducer element being mechanically coupled to said upper surface of said second elastomeric member, whereby said transducer element is sandwiched between said first elastomeric member and said second elastomeric member. 
     
     
       8. A percussion system as recited in claim 6 wherein said interface further includes a trigger input coupled to said digital processing system, whereby said RC circuit can be triggered by said digital processing system. 
     
     
       9. A percussion system as recited in claim 6 further comprising an output transducer coupled to said digital processing system which is operative to develop an auditory signal in at least partial response to said value stored in said memory location. 
     
     
       10. A percussion input device for personal computer systems comprising: a percussion transducer element having an upper surface and a lower surface and a pair of nodes, wherein a signal developed at said pair of nodes is dependent upon a percussive force applied to substantially any portion of said upper surface without regard to the location of said percussive force on said upper surface;   an elastomeric member having an upper section with an upper surface coupled to a lower section with a lower surface, said upper surface of said transducer element being responsive to percussive forces transmitted to said lower surface of said elastomeric member from said upper surface of said elastomeric member, said transducer element being mechanically coupled to said lower surface of said elastomeric member, said elastomeric member having a consistency that transmits percussive forces to said transducer element with a substantially linear response, said upper surface providing a good surface for a mouse-type pointing device to engage and move across, said lower section being made of a resilient material;   a cable having a plurality of mutually insulated conducting wires, wherein first ends of a pair of said wires are coupled to said pair of nodes; and   a connector having a plurality of conductive connector means, wherein two of said connector means are coupled to second ends of said pair of wires, and   whereby said cable and said connector are operable to input said signal to a personal computer system.   
     
     
       11. A percussion input device as recited in claim 10 wherein said plurality of conductive connector means include conductive pins. 
     
     
       12. A percussion input device as recited in claim 10 wherein said elastomeric member is a first elastomeric member, and further comprising a second elastomeric member that is shaped similarly to said first elastomeric member and having an upper surface and a lower surface, said lower surface of said transducer element being supported by said upper surface of said second elastomeric member such that said transducer element is sandwiched between said first elastomeric member and said second elastomeric member, said lower surface of said second elastomeric member having a surface which provides a good frictional engagement with a supporting surface. 
     
     
       13. A percussion input device as recited in claim 12 wherein said transducer element is one of a plurality of transducer elements sandwiched between said first elastomeric member and said second elastomeric member. 
     
     
       14. A percussion input device as recited in claim 12 further comprising an intermediate member shaped similarly to said first elastomeric member and said second elastomeric member, said intermediate member being less resilient than said lower section of said first elastomeric member and positioned between said first elastomeric member and said transducer element, thereby mechanically coupling said transducer element to said lower surface of said first elastomeric member. 
     
     
       15. A percussion input device as recited in claim 12 wherein said first elastomeric member and said second elastomeric member are adhesively coupled together. 
     
     
       16. A percussion input device as recited in claim 12 wherein said first elastomeric member and said second elastomeric members are substantially rectangular in shape. 
     
     
       17. A percussion input device as recited in claim 16 wherein said first elastomeric member and said second elastomeric members have a pair of opposing, parallel shorter sides at least 6 inches in length and a pair of opposing, parallel longer sides at least 7 inches in length. 
     
     
       18. A percussion input device as recited in claim 17 wherein the corners of said first elastomeric member and said second elastomeric members are rounded to lessen chance of corner engagement of said first elastomeric member and said second elastomeric member with said mouse and a hand of a person manipulating said mouse over said upper surface of said first elastomeric member. 
     
     
       19. A percussion input device as recited in claim 12 wherein said transducer element has a variable resistance between said pair of nodes dependent upon said force applied to said upper surface of said transducer element. 
     
     
       20. A percussion input device as recited in claim 19 further comprising parallel resistor means coupled between said pair of nodes. 
     
     
       21. A percussion input device as recited in claim 20 further comprising series resistor means coupled in series to at least one of said pair of nodes. 
     
     
       22. A percussion input device as recited in claim 21 wherein at least one of said parallel resistor means and said series resistor means is located within said connector. 
     
     
       23. A percussion input device as recited in claim 21 wherein said plurality of conductive connector means includes a first conductive pin and a second conductive pin, wherein said series resistor means has a first end coupled to a first node of said pair of nodes and a second end coupled to said first conductive pin, and wherein said second conductive pin is coupled to a second node of said pair of nodes. 
     
     
       24. A percussion system comprising: a computer system having an input/output (I/O) bus and a plurality of memory locations;   a percussion input device operative to develop an analog output signal in response to a percussive force being applied to a percussion surface, wherein said signal is developed without regard to the location of said percussive force on said percussion surface;   an interface having an input coupled to said analog output signal of said percussion input device, said interface providing a interface output signal of said analog output signal and being operative to place said interface output signal on said I/O bus;   means for storing said interface output signal that is on said I/O bus in a designated memory location of said computer system;   means for detecting a change in said designated memory location corresponding to a force being applied to said percussion input device; and   means for providing a computer system implemented result upon said detection of a change in said designated memory location.   
     
     
       25. A percussion system comprising: a computer system having an input/output (I/O) bus and a plurality of memory locations;   a percussion input device operative to develop an analog output signal in response to a force being applied to a percussion surface;   an interface having an input coupled to said analog output signal of said percussion input device, said interface providing a interface output signal of said analog output signal and being operative to place said interface output signal on said I/O bus;   means for storing said interface output signal that is on said I/O bus in a designated memory location of said computer system;   means for detecting a change in said designated memory location corresponding to a force being applied to said percussion input device, said means for detecting a change including a computer implemented process having the steps of (a) initializing a current count value which is used to count to a count limit;   (b) detecting a change in at least one bit of said designated memory location corresponding to a force being exerted on said percussion input device;   (c) assigning said current count value to a percussion value if a change is detected in said at least one bit for the first time since step (a) was last performed; and   (d) repeating steps (b) and (c) until the current count is at said count limit; and means for providing a computer system implemented result upon said detection of a change in said designated memory location.       
     
     
       26. A percussion system as recited in claim 25 wherein said means for providing a computer implemented result comprises a computer implemented process including: collecting a plurality of percussion values developed by said means for detecting a change;   processing said plurality of percussion values to produce a processed resultant; and   developing a user-discernible output based upon said processed resultant.   
     
     
       27. A percussion system as recited in claim 26 wherein said user-discernible output is auditory. 
     
     
       28. A percussion system as recited in claim 27 wherein said user-discernible output is visual. 
     
     
       29. A percussion system as recited in claim 27 wherein said user-discernible output is delayed by storing said user-discernible output for subsequent output from said system. .Iadd. 
     
     
       30.  A percussion input device for personal computer systems comprising: a percussion transducer element having an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein said percussion transducer element is operative to develop an output signal which is dependent upon a percussive force applied to substantially any portion of said upper surface;   an elastomeric member having an upper section with an upper surface coupled to a lower section with a lower surface, said upper surface of said transducer element being responsive to percussive forces transmitted to said lower surface of said elastomeric member from said upper surface of said elastomeric member, said transducer element being mechanically coupled to said lower surface of said elastomeric member, said elastomeric member having a consistency that transmits percussive forces to said transducer element, said upper surface providing a good frictional surface for a mouse-type pointing device to engage and move across, said lower section being made of a resilient material; and   an interface operative to couple said output signal of said transducer element to a personal computer system;   whereby said output signal may be input to a personal computer system. .Iaddend..Iadd.31. A percussion input device as recited in claim 30 wherein said elastomeric member includes an upper section that is made from a material that provides an upper surface that is well adapted for engagement with both a mouse and a drumstick. .Iaddend..Iadd.32. A percussion input device as recited in claim 30 wherein said percussion transducer element is operative to develop a signal which is dependent upon a percussive force applied to substantially any portion of said upper surface without regard to the location of said percussive force on said upper surface. .Iaddend..Iadd.33. A percussion system comprising:   a computer system having an input/output (I/O) bus and a plurality of memory locations;   a percussion transducer element having an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein said percussion transducer element is operative to develop an output signal which is dependent upon a percussive force applied to substantially any portion of said upper surface;   an elastomeric member having an upper section with an upper surface coupled to a lower section with a lower surface, said upper surface of said transducer element being responsive to percussive forces transmitted to said lower surface of said elastomeric member from said upper surface of said elastomeric member, said transducer element being mechanically coupled to said lower surface of said elastomeric member, said elastomeric member having a consistency that transmits percussive forces to said transducer element, said upper surface providing a good frictional surface for a mouse-type pointing device to engage and move across, said lower section being made of a resilient material; and   an interface operative to place said output signal of said percussion transducer element on said I/O bus of said computer system;   whereby said output signal that is on said I/O bus may be stored in a   
     
     
        designated memory location of said computer system. .Iaddend..Iadd.34.  A percussion system as recited in claim 33 wherein said percussion transducer element is operative to develop a signal which is dependent upon a percussive force applied to substantially any portion of said upper surface without regard to the location of said percussive force on said upper surface. .Iaddend..Iadd.35. A percussion system as recited in claim 33 further including a mouse-type pointing device interfaced to said computer system, said mouse-type interface having a rolling ball element operative to frictionally engage said upper surface of said elastomeric member. .Iaddend..Iadd.36. A percussion system as recited in claim 33 further including a pair of drum sticks operative to apply said percussive force upon said upper surface. .Iaddend.