TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure generally relates to musical instruments, such as stringed instruments. Even more specifically, the present invention relates to a learning apparatus to aid in the playing of musical instruments.

BACKGROUND

Learning and mastering musical instruments has been a practice since time imme- morial. Humans have traditionally learned how to play instruments either using written instructions via tablature, through an experienced tutor or both. The process of learning of stringed instruments more or less has been the same over millennia. Presently, we have a wide array of media options to learn instruments, namely, smartphone applications, web sites, tablature software, online tutorial videos, etc. In recent times, use of wireless light emitting diode (LED) array arrangement on the music playing surface of the stringed musical instruments have been developed for mu sic learning and training purposes, for example, LED arrangements have been designed for fretboard of guitars for guiding finger movements on the fretboard of the guitar. However, control of these LED arrangements requires heavy modification to the existing instruments. Moreover, the presence of LEDs that are arranged on the playing surface of the musical instruments and are positioned underneath the strings intervenes in the natural experience of playing the strings of the musical instruments. SUMMARY

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified format that is further described in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential inventive concepts. In accordance with the purposes of the invention, the present invention as embodied and broadly described herein provides a learning apparatus for musical instruments. The disclosed learning apparatus employs a light guidance system. The light guidance system comprises of an array of light structures to project light onto pre-defmed positions on a surface of the active music play area of the musical instruments, wherein the array of light structures are such positioned that they do not intervene with the natural experience of playing music in the active music play area of the musical instrument.

Accordingly, an aspect of the present invention is to provide a learning apparatus for a musical instrument. The learning apparatus may include at least a first portion defining an active music play area and a second portion. Further, the learning apparatus may include a light guidance system that comprises of an array of light structures to project light onto pre-defmed positions on a surface of the first portion, in a sequential manner, where the predefined positions and the sequential manner correspond to a musical note. The array of light structures are positioned either on the edges of the first portion and/or on the second portion. In accordance with one embodiment, the array of light structures is embedded in one or more printed circuit board (PCB) strips, collectively referred to as the one or more light guiding strips in the present disclosure. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the edges of the first portion include the non-active music playing areas confining the first portion.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the light guidance sys tem comprises an electronic controller circuitry configured to control the projection of the light onto the surface of the first portion.

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a learning apparatus with a light guidance system for a musical instrument where the musical instrument includes a neck portion defining an active music play area and a body portion. The musical instrument may further include a plurality of strings running along length of the neck portion, a plu- rality of frets running across width of the neck portion. The learning apparatus of the mu sical instrument may include at least two PCB strips positioned on edges of the first portion and/or on the second portion, an array of light elements embedded in the PCB strips con figured to project light onto pre-defmed positions on a surface of the first portion in a se quential manner, where the pre-defmed positions and the sequential manner correspond to a musical note. The learning apparatus may further include at least one controller in com munication with the PCB strips to control the projection of light by the array of light ele ments onto a surface of the first portion.

In accordance with the arrangement and functionality of the light guidance system disclosed in the present invention, the array of light structures are positioned on parts of the musical instrument which does not include the main musical playing area. The array of light structures can be positioned at determined edges of the body of the musical instru- ments which simultaneously or sequentially illuminate specific positions on the music play ing surface area to guide the user to play chords, songs or other exercises in a variety of different manners.

The above aspects and the advantages will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

It is appreciated that the drawings provided in the present disclosure only illustrate application examples of the present disclosure and are therefore not to be construed as lim- iting its scope. The foregoing disclosure provides additional information with additional specificity and detail with the accompanying drawings, which are listed below for quick reference.

Figure 1 illustrates a schematic view of a learning apparatus for a musical instru ment, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 illustrates a schematic view of a learning apparatus for a stringed musical instrument, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Figure 3 illustrates a side view of the stringed musical instrument with the learning apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

It may be noted that the one or more elements may have been represented in the drawings by conventional symbols, and the drawings may show only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure so as not to obscure the drawings with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skilled in the art having benefit of the description herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It should be understood at the outset that although illustrative implementations of the present disclosure are illustrated below, the present invention may be implemented us ing any number of techniques, whether currently known or in existence. The present dis closure should be in no way limited to illustrative implementations, drawings, and tech niques, illustrated below, including the exemplary design and implementation illustrated and described herein, but may be modified within the scope of equivalents. Unless otherwise defined, all terms and especially technical and/or scientific terms, used herein, may be taken to have the same meaning as commonly understood by one hav ing an ordinarily skilled in the art.

Reference is made herein to some“embodiments”. It should be understood that an embodiment is an example of a possible implementation of any features and/or elements presented in the foregoing claims. Some embodiments have been described for the purpose of illuminating one or more potential ways in which the specific features and/or elements of the foregoing claims fulfill the requirements of uniqueness, utility, and non-obviousness.

The present invention discloses a learning apparatus that employs a light projection method using light guiding members arranged on at least a portion of the body of the mu sical instruments which do not include the main music playing area of the musical instru ment. The light projection method employed simultaneously or sequentially illuminates specific positions on the music playing surface area of the musical instruments, the specific positions corresponding to a musical note or chord to be played.

The term“light guiding members” and the term“light structures” have been inter changeably used in this disclosure. The light guiding members are arranged in an array on specific parts of the body of the musical instrument. The specific parts correspond to pre defined positions which effectively illuminate the active music play area of the musical instrument. For example, the pre-defmed positions may run along the edge(s) of the musical instrument, the edge(s) may confine the active music play area of the musical instrument. Herein, the active music play area should be understood as the finger engaging surface on which the music player plays, for examples, strums, his fingers to play the musical instru ment. In another example, the pre-defmed positions may include any other parts which are the non-active music playing areas of the music instrument as long as they are effective in illuminating the active music play area of the music instrument. By way of an example, if a musical instrument is a piano, the array of light structures may be positioned at the bottom surface of the musical instrument which is distanced from the active music play area, the array of light structures can effectively illuminate the active music play area without im peding with the finger movements of the player.

The light structures are provided in an array to project light in a sequential manner according to the musical note/cord to be played. The array of light structures may be im- plemented in form of one or more printed circuit board (PCB) strips. In one implementation, one such PCB strip may be provided on an edge of the active music play area of the musical instrument, and another PCB strip may be provided on base of the musical instrument. The PCB strips are effectively positioned at pre-defmed positions of the music play area which do not overlap with the main music play, so as to maintain the natural music playing expe rience of the player.

The present invention employs a light guidance system designed specific to a mu sical instrument. The light guidance system for a musical instrument includes the array of light structures positioned on to pre-defmed positions of the musical instrument as per the body and shape of the musical instrument and also as per the active music play area such that the specific points on the active music play area can be illuminated in a sequential manner corresponding to a note to be played. By way of an example, the array of light structures can be provided at the edge running along a length of the neck of a guitar which holds the strings to be played. From such pre-defmed positions, the array of light structures can effectively illuminate the strings on the active music play area of the guitar. In another example, the array of light structures can be extended to be placed at the base of the neck of the guitar to effectively illuminate the frets on the active music play area of the guitar.

According to an embodiment, the PCB strip(s) are provided in an enclosing struc ture, also referred to as Tight guide enclosure’ or plainly,‘enclosure’, which is formed of a transparent material that allows for a passage of light beams to pass through. The con struction of the enclosure is such that it promotes total internal reflection and prevents the scattering of light beams. The enclosure transmits 80-90% of the light transmitted, i.e., the light beams, from the light structures. Further the interior adjacent walls of enclosing struc ture may be such oriented with respect to the light structures, positioned on one of the walls of the structures that facilitate a total internal reflection and divert the projected light beams towards the pre-defmed positions on the surface of the active music play area. By way of an example, the design of the closure adopted can be such that the adjacent walls bend the light beams around a fixed comer. This unique design characteristics of the light guide enclosure helps in achieving the desired projection of the light beams onto a surface defin ing an active music play area. In another example, the interior walls of the enclosure are oriented at a certain angle with respect to the wall which holds the array of light structures, so as to facilitate total internal reflection and divert the light beams onto the active music play area.

In accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, the light guidance system employs a controlled projection of light onto the desired positions, corresponding to the musical note, on the active music play area of the musical instrument. Thus, a unique light projection method can be facilitated that projects light onto the desired positions, corre sponding to the musical note to be played, on the active music play area of the musical instrument.

Further, the controlled projection is achieved by the light guidance system using a controller. The light guidance system may further include an electronic hardware circuitry that can be installed/mounted on the musical instrument. The PCB strips, i.e., the array of light structures, may be in wired, or wireless as the case may be, to the electronic hardware circuitry. The controller of the light guidance system can be embedded in the electronic hardware circuitry to control the illumination time and beam throw distance from each of the light structures of the PCB strips. The electronic hardware circuitry including the em- bedded controller is herein after referred to as the‘electronic controller cicruitry’ .

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the electronic control ler circuitry is configured to control the projection of light onto the surface of the active music play area in at least one of the following manners: an illumination timing of each light structure of the array of the light structures, a sequence of the illumination timing of the each light structure, brightness level of the each light structure, color of the projected light of the each light structure and a beam throw distance of the projected light of the each light structure. Thus, the controller is configured to control the illumination timings and beam throw distance of each light structure on the active music playing surface area of the musical instrument such that specific positions on the music playing surface area are sim ultaneously or sequentially illuminated, the specific positions corresponding to a musical note or chord to be played.

In accordance with further embodiment of the present invention, the controller of the light guidance system is configured to communicate with a second controller of an ex ternal device, the controller being in communication with the external device. The external device may include but is not limited to, a server, a desktop, a laptop, notebook, mobile phone, smartphone, wearable device, electronic media player etc. The external device may include a processor for executing computer instructions stored in a memory of the device. In one embodiment, the computer instructions may be specific to an application for learning musical notes and chords on the musical instrument on which the controller is installed upon. The communication between the controller and the second controller of the external device can be wireless based on various communication standards including Wi-Fi, Blue tooth or any other known means, or may be wired as well depending upon the requirements. In accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention, the hardware circuitry encasing the controller on the musical playing instrument may include a chargea ble battery. The chargeable battery may be provided with a pluggable connector to supply power to the controller. In one embodiment, the pluggable connector may include a micro USB cable that may be connected to an external power source, for example, a power bank or the external device such as the user’s smartphone).

In accordance with the embodiments of the present invention, the light structures are programmable lights, for example, light emitting diodes (LEDs). In one implementation one or more programmable micro LEDs may be used where the one or more programmable micro LEDs are embedded on printed circuit board (PCB) strips. The PCB strips may be rigid or flexible PCB with PLA bioplastic enclosures. The PCB strips are further connected to a controller embedded in an electronic hardware circuitry that can be installed on the music playing instrument where the controller is configured to control the illumination timings and beam throw distance of each LEDs on the active music playing sur-face area of the musical instrument such that specific positions on the music playing surface area are simultaneously or sequentially illuminated, the specific positions corresponding to a musical note or chord to be played.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the present invention shall be described with particular reference to a musical instrument as shown in Fig. 1. The shape and body of the musical instrument is only for illustrative purposes and should not be construed as a limitation to the present invention.

Fig. 1 illustrates a schematic illustration of a learning apparatus for a musical in strument 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The instrument 100 includes a first portion 102 and a second portion 104. The first portion 102 defines an active music play area. Depending upon the shape of the instrument 100 as well as taking into consideration the active music play area of the instrument 100, an array of light struc tures may be positioned on the edges of the first portion 102 and/or the second portion 104 so as to effectively project light beams onto a predefined position, for example a position 300, on the surface of the first portion 102 that defines the active music play area. In the illustrated Fig. 1, a single PCB strip 200 is shown positioned along the edge of the first portion 102. The PCB strip 200 may include programmable micro LEDs 201 that project light on the surface of the first portion 102 of the musical instrument 100. Although not shown, another PCB strip including programmable micro LEDs may be positioned on a base 107 of a second portion 104 of the instrument 100, which effectively projects lights into the desired portions of the active music play area.

The musical instrument 100 may include the light guidance system of the present invention as disclosed above. Further, the array of light structure may be in communication (wired or wireless) with an electronic hardware circuitry 400 encasing the controller which is configured to control the illumination timings, colors, sequence of illumination, bright ness and beam throw distance of each LEDs on the surface of the first portion 102 of the musical instrument 100. The foregoing description shall now be explained taking reference of a stringed musical instrument, for example, a guitar. However, this should not be construed as a lim itation to the present invention.

The learning apparatus discussed herein including the light guidance system that employing the light projection method explained above and the same can be utilized for any other stringed musical instrument where the light guidance system requires to be de signed according to the body type of the musical instrument.

Fig. 2 illustrates a schematic illustration of a learning apparatus for a guitar 100, which employs the same light guidance system of the musical instrument 100 shown in Fig. 1. The guitar 100 includes a neck portion 102 and a body portion 104. On the neck portion, there are arranged six strings 106 and 12 frets, however, these shall not be construed as a limitation to the present invention. Depending upon the structure of the guitar, two PCB strips embedded with the controllable micro LEDs are employed to achieve the light pro- jection method on the active playing surface area, which is the fretboard in the case of the guitar.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, one such PCB strip 200A is placed along the neck 102 of the guitar. As seen, the PCB strip 200A is placed along one edge of the fretboard which does nor impeded upon the finger movement on the active playing surface area of the fret- board. The length of the PCB strip 200 A may depend upon the length of the fretboard. The other PCB strip 200B is placed at the base 107 of the neck. In case of a guitar, the light guidance system comprises of both the PCB strips 200A and 200B to utilize the light pro jection method to uniquely identify the portion of the fretboard (i.e., both fret and string) which is desired to be illuminated to guide finger movement to a user learning music on the guitar. By way of an example, a dotted circular portion 300 signifies the illuminated portion of the fretboard utilizing the light projection method employed in the present in vention.

By way of a working example, PCB strip 200 A includes 12 LEDs 201 and PCB strip 200B includes 6 LEDs along the bottom/base 107 of the fretboard. The LEDs used may be RGB/Multi-color.

Both units (i.e., PCB strips 200A and 200B) together form the Light Guidance Sys tem that aids the user in rapid identification of fret and string positions. This is achieved via a light guide enclosure of the PCB strips that is a specifically designed light guidance structure made of a transparent material that allows for passage of light. The interior walls of both enclosures of the individual units are at a certain angle at LED positions to facilitate total internal reflection and divert the LED light beams onto the fretboard. The construction of the enclosure is such that it promotes total internal reflection and prevents the scattering of light. The enclosure transmits 80-90% of the light from the LED source. The design of the enclosure is such that it bends light around a fixed corner. This unique design charac teristics of the light guide enclosure helps in achieving the desired projection of the light onto a surface defining an active music play area. Thus, light guidance is achieved via controlled redirection and projection of light onto the desired positions of the fretboard (fret & string position).

Further, the PCB strips 200A and 200B may be connected to each other via a wired unit where PCB strip 200B may be further in communication with the electronic hardware circuitry 400 encasing the controller which is configured to control the illumination timings, colors, sequence of illumination, brightness and beam throw distance of each LEDs on the fretboard such that desired positions are simultaneously or sequentially illuminated corre sponding to a musical note or chord to be played. The PCB strip 200B can be suitably wired to the electronic hardware circuitry 400.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the PCB strip 200A fitted along one edge of the neck 102 of the guitar 100. In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, the learning apparatus for musical instruments as disclosed can be employed on a keyboard/piano where the light guidance system can be employed to illuminate desired keys of the keyboard/piano using the light projection method as disclosed above. The above-described embodiments are simple in structure and do not require heavy modifications to the existing musical instruments. One or more of the above-described PCB strips are arranged on the body of the musical instrument in a manner specific to the musical instrument to achieve the unique light projection method facilitating the light projection onto the desired positions on the music playing surface area of the corresponding musical instrument. Therefore, instead of direct surface illumination, controlled beam throw from other parts of the musical instrument, which do not form part of the active playing surface area, is employed for guiding finger movements to learn music on the musical instrument. Thus, the natural feedback of the musical instrument is preserved. Further, the PCB strips are easily affixed onto the body of the musical instrument as well as are removable. In one implementation, these PCB strips are implemented in the form of non-permanent adhesive tapes. Moreover, the light guidance system disclosed in the present invention requires min imal power by virtue of the limited number of LEDs that are sufficient to achieve the light projection method on the active playing surface area of the musical instrument. Instead of an integrated battery, the controller of the light guidance system can be powered by an external power bank of a user’s smartphone itself. Not only this is an economical and en vironment-friendly choice for lightning the musical instrument but also the learning appa ratus can operate for longer hours, subjected to minimum required LEDs, without draining out the batteries of said commented power sources. Those skilled in the art will recognize other use cases, improvements, and modifi cation to the embodiments of the present disclosure. All such improvements and other use- cases are considered within the scope of the concepts disclosed herein and the claims that follow.