The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 04, 2013
Filed:
Mar. 08, 2010
Bernard Chiu, Boston, MA (US);
Stephen Paul Webster, Oakville, CA;
Paul Fransoza, Arlington, MA (US);
Andrea Gaiter, Sudbury, MA (US);
Wendy Mittelstadt, Lowell, MA (US);
Ilissa Schild, Boston, MA (US);
Craig Small, Framingham, MA (US);
Gabriel Viani, Salem, MA (US);
David Yiu, Hong Kong, CN;
Bernard Chiu, Boston, MA (US);
Stephen Paul Webster, Oakville, CA;
Paul Fransoza, Arlington, MA (US);
Andrea Gaiter, Sudbury, MA (US);
Wendy Mittelstadt, Lowell, MA (US);
Ilissa Schild, Boston, MA (US);
Craig Small, Framingham, MA (US);
Gabriel Viani, Salem, MA (US);
David Yiu, Hong Kong, CN;
745 LLC, Boston, MA (US);
Abstract
Stringed instruments, game controllers, and related structures and methods are described. A game controller having one or more strings is described for a computer gaming application. A plurality of frets can be disposed on a fingerboard and underlying the strings. The frets may include electrically conductive zones that can be electrically insulated from each other, and each zone corresponds to a different string. A polyphonic pickup having a plurality of wire-wound coils coupled to corresponding magnetic returns can be included, and can be adapted to detect striking of at least one of the strings by a user of the game controller. Output signals may be sent from the controller to the gaming application indicative of fingering of the game controller and the time at which the strings of the game controller are struck. Multi-mode apparatus are also described. A stringed apparatus may be used as both a game controller and an instrument.