Patent ID: 8071870
Filing Date: 2011-12-06
Classification: G10H

Abstract:
1. An optical pickup for a musical instrument, a string thereof arranged adjacent to a face surface of the musical instrument, the optical pickup comprising: a housing having an upper deck spaced apart from a lower deck; a light emitter mounted in the upper deck and enabled for producing and directing a light beam through a transmission channel toward the string of the musical instrument wherein the transmission channel includes a right angle mirrored transition surface whereby the light beam emitted into the transmission channel is turned by 90° before exiting the transmission channel; a light receiver mounted in the lower deck, and positioned for receiving the light beam emitted by the light emitter and occluded by the string of the musical instrument; an electrical circuit including the light emitter and the light receiver, the electrical circuit enabled for energizing the light emitter for producing the light beam and for converting light energy of the light beam incident on the light receiver to an electrical voltage, the electrical circuit further providing a driver for driving an audio output device.