US 20090211431A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2009/0211431 A1 Zhang (43) Pub. Date: Aug. 27, 2009 (54) AUTOMATIC GUITARTUNING CASE and synchronously tune an acoustic guitar or electrical guitar without modifying the guitar has never be done before. (76) Inventor: Zhenxiang Zhang, St. Catharines Changing one string's tension will cause all other strings (CA) tension change, so all strings should be tuned synchronously and ended tuning together only when all Strings are in tone at Correspondence Address: the same time. As a closed-loop control system, the automatic ZHENXANG ZHANG guitar tuning case comprises six transducers sensing the 41 RYKERT ST, UNIT #108 vibration frequency of six guitar strings respectively, six tuner ST. CATHARINES, ON L2S3A4 (CA) units to analyze tones, and a center processor unit to control six electric tuning wrenches to tune the six guitar Strings. The (21) Appl. No.: 12/036,205 automatic guitar tuning case also consists of a control panel for a user to preset and select tuning patterns, control and (22) Filed: Feb. 22, 2008 monitor the system. To tune a guitar with this invention just need to put a guitar in the case and close the lid, the guitar will Publication Classification be in tone in seconds. It doesn't require installing any com (51) Int. Cl. ponents, means or devices on the guitar or modifying the GIG 7/02 (2006.01) guitar. It can either work on an acoustic guitar or electric guitar regardless of the gauge and material of the strings. This (52) U.S. Cl. .......................................................... 84/454 invention could be a tuning case to serve a specific guitar, or be a tool to serve a batch of the same model guitars or serve (57) ABSTRACT different model guitars with a little adjustment. This inven An automatic guitar tuning case is a tuning system to auto tion can also be applied on almost any stringed musical instru matically, synchronously, accurately and rapidly turn a guitar. ments, such as 12 string guitar, bass, banjo, mandolin, violin, To automatically tune one string is not new, but automatically cello, harp or even piano etc. Automatic Guitar Tuning Case Strum unit Guitar tuning peg Guitar head Tuning machine unit Control penal lid Control penal Neck base Guitar . Guitar strings 10. Guitar neck 11. Guitar Case 12. Guitar case lid 13. Rechargeable Battery 41. Tuning peg adaptor Patent Application Publication Aug. 27, 2009 Sheet 1 of 13 US 2009/0211431 A1 Automatic Guitar Tuning Case Strum unit Guitar tuning peg Guitar head Tuning machine unit Control penal lid Control penal Neck base Guitar . Guitar strings 10. Guitar neck 11. Guitar case 12. Guitar case lid 13. Rechargeable Battery 41. Tuning peg adaptor F1 Patent Application Publication Aug. 27, 2009 Sheet 2 of 13 US 2009/0211431 A1 The Control Panel, Lid & Neck Base 5 6 18 OOO 19 DDD 4D SA 6E O O O O O 15 5. Control panel Lid 6. Control panel 7. Neck base 15. LED array 16. Buttons of Power, tune and Rewind 17. Indicator LED Of Power, in-tone and Alarm F2 18. Liquid Crystal display 19. Preset buttons Patent Application Publication Aug. 27, 2009 Sheet 3 of 13 US 2009/0211431 A1 Transducer arra V Unit 5. Control penal Lid 9. Guitar Strings 22. PCB board 24. Transducers 25. Transducer array unit 25 Patent Application Publication Aug. 27, 2009 Sheet 4 of 13 US 2009/0211431 A1 Strum Unit 1 9. Strings 12. Guitar Case Lid 31. DC Motor 3. Randscrews Š F4 Patent Application Publication Aug. 27, 2009 Sheet 5 of 13 US 2009/0211431 A1 Electric Tuning Wrench 41. Tuning Peg Adaptor 42. T-shaped Shaft 43. Spring 44. Tuning Motor N F5 Patent Application Publication Aug. 27, 2009 Sheet 6 of 13 US 2009/0211431 A1 Parts of Tuning Wrench 41. Tuning peg adaptor 42. T-shaped Shaft 43. Spring 45. Screw Patent Application Publication Aug. 27, 2009 Sheet 7 of 13 US 2009/0211431 A1 41. Tuning peg adaptor Tuning machine Unit 42. T-shaped shaft 44. Tuning Motor 51. Tuning unit box 53. Motor Rack 56. U-shaped fork 57. Adjustment screw 58. Screw Nut (left thread) 59. Screw Nut (right thread) 59 58 Patent Application Publication Aug. 27, 2009 Sheet 8 of 13 US 2009/0211431 A1 Control Penal Lid With Neck Base 5. Control Penal Lid 7. Neck Base 9. Guitar strings 10. Guitar neck 24. TranSCUCerS 25. Transducer array unit F8 Patent Application Publication Aug. 27, 2009 Sheet 9 of 13 US 2009/0211431 A1 Neck Support 61. Base Nut 62. Lock Nut 63. Y-shaped Neck support F9 Patent Application Publication Aug. 27, 2009 Sheet 10 of 13 US 2009/0211431 A1 Strap Pin Support 71. Strap Pin Support 72. Base Rack 73. Adjustment Screw 74. SCreWS F10 Patent Application Publication Aug. 27, 2009 Sheet 11 of 13 US 2009/0211431 A1 Microprocessor Unit Transducer Array Units LEDs array & LCD Display Electric Tuning Wrench 1 1E 92 Motor 2B E driver C1 3G D S 4D CD C 5A C - - - H Electric Tuning Wrenché . X 27p Compelling Motors Motor driver C Motor driver IC - Strum Motor .1u Preset, tune, Rewind, Stop buttons Power alarm in-tone Control Panel LEDS F11 Patent Application Publication Aug. 27, 2009 Sheet 12 of 13 US 2009/0211431 A1 Inoul) JOleInfe no O Jell-SSe WO no.10 Jell|duW no O Jell Patent Application Publication Aug. 27, 2009 Sheet 13 of 13 US 2009/0211431 A1 Tuning ProCeSS Transducer Array ................................................... Filter, Amplifier, Low Pass Filter, Regulator, Software Control Penal, Display, Indicators, Preset & Control F13 US 2009/021 1431 A1 Aug. 27, 2009 AUTOMATIC GUITARTUNING CASE U.S. Pat. No. 5,824,929, Freeland, Oct. 20, 1998 “Musical instrument self-tuning system with calibration FIELD OF THE INVENTION library' discloses a control system for automatically utilizing a library of calibration functions to tune a stringed musical 0001. This invention relates to an apparatus for automatic instrument in a plurality of operating conditions without reca tuning stringed musical instruments. libration. U.S. Pat. No. 6,437,226 Oudshoom, et al. (2002) BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION U.S. Pat. No. 6,184,452 Long (2001) 0002 The following patents describing automatic tuning U.S. Pat. No. 5,886,270 Wynn (1999) devices use electromechanical devices to change or maintain U.S. Pat. No. 5,824,929 Freeland, et al. (1998) pitch. U.S. Pat. No. 5,767.429 Milano, et al. (1998) U.S. Pat. No. 5,528,970 Zacaroli (1996) US Patent Application 20080006140, Adams, Jan. 10, 2008 U.S. Pat. No. 5,343,793 Pattie (1994) U.S. Pat. No. 5,095,797 Zacaroli (1992) 0003 “Device and Method for Automatic Tuning of a U.S. Pat. No. 4,958,550 Kugimoto (1990) String Instrument in Particular a Guitar discloses an auto matic tuning devise for a guitar, by recording a tone and U.S. Pat. No. 4,803,908 Skinn, et al. (1989) output of a corresponding digital signal to a comparator U.S. Pat. No. 4,584,923 Minnick (1986) device for comparison of the digital signal with a digital U.S. Pat. No. 4,228,715 Noumey (1980) signal corresponding to the desired tone, then adjust the ten U.S. Pat. No. 4,088,052 Hedrick (1978) sion of the string accordingly. 0007. These systems or devises are all need to be added on a musical instrument or modify the musical instrument, which could result in the sound of the musical instrument US Patent Application 20070240554, Hany, Oct. 18, 2007, being fundamentally changed. 0004 “Musical tuning switcher discloses that the inven tion is an attachable string tension control device for adjusting SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION the pitch of each string of a musical instrument. Allowing an operator to switch instantly between a variety of pre-selected 0008. This invention is for automatic, accurate and swift tunings. tuning any kind of guitar. It can either work on acoustic guitar or electric guitar regardless of the gauge and material of the US Patent Application 20070214935, Lyles, Sep. 20, 2007, strings. It doesn't require modifying the guitar itself. Liter ally, this invention can also be an apparatus to automatic tune 0005. “Stringed musical instrument using spring tension' any kind of stringed musical instruments such as basses, discloses a stringed musical instrument employs springs to banjo, mandolin, violin or piano etc. apply tension to corresponding musical strings. Each spring is chosen and configured for its ability to imparta String tension OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES generally matched to the appropriate tension of the String at perfect tune. 0009. This invention can automatically tune a guitar according to a user's selected tuning and temperament. US Patent Application 20060037459, Skinn, Feb. 23, 2006 Comparatively, it's faster and more accurate than manu ally tuning. This invention does not need to modify the 0006 “Apparatus and method for self-tuning stringed guitar itself. Any changing or adding a device on a con musical instruments with an accompanying vibrato mecha ventional guitar body will result in the guitar Sound nism' discloses that an automatic tuning system for a stringed fundamentally changed or sense of feeling missing, instrument is provided having a string adjustment assembly especially for an acoustic guitar. comprising a motor and gear assembly. 0010. To manually and accurately tune a guitar is not U.S. Pat. No. 6,278,047, Cumberland, Aug. 21, 2001 easy even with a tuner for help. It could take long time, "Apparatus for tuning stringed instruments' discloses a because changing one string's tension will affect other microprocessor-controlled tuning apparatus for a stringed strings tension on a guitar.