	US 9,812,107 B2
	Ergonomic electronic musical instrument with pseudo-strings
Michael V. Butera, Nashville, TN (US)
Assigned to Artiphon, Inc., Nashville, TN (US)
Filed by Artiphon, LLC, Nashville, TN (US)
Filed on Feb. 12, 2016, as Appl. No. 15/42,705.
Application 15/042,705 is a continuation in part of application No. 14/306,818, filed on Jun. 17, 2014, abandoned.
Application 14/306,818 is a continuation of application No. 13/737,692, filed on Jan. 9, 2013, granted, now 8,796,529, issued on Aug. 5, 2014.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/584,862, filed on Jan. 10, 2012.
Prior Publication US 2016/0163298 A1, Jun. 9, 2016
Int. Cl. G10H 1/32 (2006.01); G10H 1/34 (2006.01); G10H 1/00 (2006.01)

CPC G10H 1/342 (2013.01) [G10H 1/0066 (2013.01); G10H 2210/225 (2013.01); G10H 2220/096 (2013.01); G10H 2220/241 (2013.01); G10H 2220/301 (2013.01); G10H 2220/391 (2013.01); G10H 2220/395 (2013.01); G10H 2230/015 (2013.01); G10H 2230/075 (2013.01)]

17 Claims

1. A musical device comprising:

a body having a plurality of triggers and ergonomic features correlating to at least two stringed instruments that are played using different playing techniques, the ergonomic features further comprising a neck having an underside, the underside having a smaller neck outline inset from a larger neck outline, wherein the smaller neck outline provides a thumb-rest that approximates the width of violin's neck and the larger neck outline approximates the width of a guitar's neck;

a plurality of sensors;

at least one trigger that is associated with at least one of the plurality of sensors for tactile user input;

a switch to toggle the device between the at least two playing techniques, wherein each of the at least two playing techniques comprises receiving different tactile user input; and

wherein the ergonomic features of the body of the device allow the user to hold the device in positions familiar to musicians of the at least two stringed instruments.