Abstract:
A Cadence-Providing Drum Practice Pad Assembly and Method is disclosed. The preferred assembly combines a practice pad and a cadence generating device in the same body. In other embodiments, the device provides visual prompting to the user on the striking pad. Furthermore, the device of the present invention includes a local repository of cadence programs, as well as the ability to retrieve and play cadence programs stored in remote cadence repositories, such as on a computer network or a portable storage media. Still further, the device includes the option of connecting remote striking pads that can be attached to a conventional drum set to provide visual and/or audible cadence prompting at the drums themselves. Furthermore, the device is attachable to a conventional cymbal or drum stand. The device may also have the ability to play musical accompaniment for the user&#39;s enjoyment.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates generally to musical percussion instruments and, more specifically, to a Cadence-Providing Drum Practice Pad Assembly and Method 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     A drum practice pad is commonly used by drummers and students of drumming to assist them in the development or honing of their drumming skills. As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional drum practice pad  10  comprises a flexible mat  12  (made typically from rubber) that is designed to be lain across a table or other flat surface (including a person&#39;s lap). Protruding from the top surface of the flexible mat  12  is a striking pad  14 . The striking pad  14  typically consists of a hard core, such as from metal or wood, and a covering of the same material as the flexible mat  12 . 
     In using the practice pad  10 , the drummer strokes his drum sticks in a constant continuing formation, known as rudiments. These rudiments are stroking exercises which develop the drummer&#39;s speed, coordination, timing and technique. When learning to play a particular “drum line” (or drum portion of a piece of music) or rudiment, the drummer first listens to the rudiment or drum line, and then attempts to imitate it on the practice pad  10 . This describes an audio learning process (i.e. first hearing a desired act, and then attempting to imitate it); the problem with this strictly audio learning process is that it has been proven to be substantially less effective than visual learning (i.e. first seeing the desired act, and then attempting to imitate it), or a combination of both audio and visual learning processes. 
     If we now turn to FIG. 2, we can examine another practice device for drummers. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a conventional electronic drum synthesizer  16 . The synthesizer  16  comprises a base  18 , upon which are located a plurality of detector pads  20 . When the user strikes one of the detector pads  20 , the electronics built into the synthesizer  16  will generate a sound from built in speakers  22  (or output the sound signals to headphones or external sound amplification equipment). The synthesizer  16  can be programmed to provide many different sounds in response to the striking of each detector pad  20 , and in some models, it can actually play music from its speakers (to which the drummer can play an accompaniment). 
     The functioning of the conventional synthesizer is depicted as a flow diagram  300  in FIG.  3 . As can be seen, the user first strikes a detector pad  302 , at which time the detector pad generates and output signal  304 . The synthesizer logic (embedded in the electronics package of the synthesizer) receives the output signal from the detector pad  306 . The synthesizer logic then converts the detector pad output signal to an audio signal  308 . The problem with this device and system is that even though very high quality sounds can be produced, it does not really provide any additional benefit over the practice pad to the drummer in practicing or learning rudiments, since it too employs an audio learning process. What is needed is a drum practice system and method that employs visual learning techniques. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In light of the aforementioned problems associated with the prior devices and methods, it is an object of the present invention to provide a Cadence-Providing Drum Practice Pad Assembly and Method. The preferred assembly will combine a practice pad and a cadence generating device in the same body. It is an object that other embodiments provide visual prompting to the user on the striking pad. It is vet another object that the device of the present invention include a local repository of cadence programs, as well as the ability to retrieve and play cadence programs stored in remote cadence repositories such as on a computer network or a portable storage media. It is a further object that the device include the option of connecting remote striking pads that can be attached to a conventional drum set to provide visual and/or audible cadence prompting at the drums themselves. It is yet a further object that the device be attachable to a conventional cymbal or drum stand. It is a final object that the device include the ability to play musical accompaniment for the user&#39;s enjoyment. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The objects and features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, of which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional drum practice pad; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a conventional electronic drum synthesizer; 
     FIG. 3 depicts the operating process for a conventional drum synthesizer; 
     FIG. 4 depicts the operating method of the invention of the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 depicts the functional arrangement of the components of a preferred embodiment of the Cadence-providing drum practice pad assembly of the present invention; 
     FIG. 6 depicts the functional arrangement of the components of an alternate embodiment of the Cadence-providing drum practice pad assembly of the present invention; 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the assembly of FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the assembly of FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 9 is a top view of a preferred embodiment of a striking pad of the present invention; 
     FIG. 10 is a top view of an alternate preferred embodiment of a striking pad of the present invention; 
     FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the assembly of FIGS. 6 and 8; and 
     FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the assembly of FIG. 11 as it might be used with a conventional drum set. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention. Various modifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the art, since the generic principles of the present invention have been defined herein specifically to provide a Cadence-Providing Drum Practice Pad Assembly and Method. 
     The present invention can best be understood by initial consideration of FIG.  4 . FIG. 4 depicts the operating method  400  of the invention of the present invention. Unlike the conventional practice pads and other devices described hereinabove, the present method commences with the user selecting a cadence program  402 . The cadence program is selected from a repository of cadence programs, each resulting in a different combination of rudimentary drum strikes. Once the cadence program is selected by the user, the cadence generator (for example a “metronome”) generates an audio strike signal  404  that is audibly perceptible to the human senses. In response to this audio signal, the user strikes a striking pad  406 . Unlike the prior methods, then, in the present invention, the user strikes a pad in response to a single audio signal (rather than the user listening to a string of audio signals and then trying to imitate the entire string). Furthermore, it is an optional feature that the cadence generator generate a visual strike signal  408 , coincidental with the audio strike signal, that is visually perceptible to the human senses. 
     If the cadence program has not been completed (or the system has not been manually stopped),  410 , then the next audio/visual strike signal is generated. When the cadence program is completed (or the system is manually stopped)  412 , then the system ends this routine  414 , and the presentation of strike signals ceases. Now turning to FIG. 5, we can begin to examine the structure of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 depicts the functional arrangement of the components of a preferred embodiment of the Cadence-providing drum practice pad assembly  24 A of the present invention. As shown in this functional diagram, the cadence generator  26 A is controlled by a user interface  28 A (which may actually be incorporated within the cadence generator logic), to permit the user to select a particular cadence program from a local cadence repository  30 A. Once selected the cadence program is operated upon by the cadence generator  26 A to provide audio sounds from one or more strike signal speakers  32 , and possibly to provide visual sounds from one or more strike signal lights  34 . As discussed above in connection with FIG. 4, the user is then expected to repeat each strike as prompted by the audio and visual signals. There are several embodiments of the present invention, another of which is shown in FIG.  6 . 
     FIG. 6 depicts the functional arrangement of the components of an alternate embodiment of the Cadence-providing drum practice pad assembly  24 B of the present invention. In this embodiment, the cadence generator  26 B is controllable by the user interface  28 B to potentially communicate with a remote cadence repository  38  via a network conduit  36  (e.g. the world-wide-web) to permit the user to obtain a wider variety of cadence programs. Cadence programs retrieved from the remote cadence repository  38  can then be stored in the local cadence repository  30 B (for later presentation by the cadence generator), or might be operated upon immediately by the cadence generator  26 B. 
     In this embodiment not only can the cadence generator drive strike signal speakers  32  and strike signal lights  34 , but it may also provide musical accompaniment for the user through musical accompaniment speakers  40  (which might be the same device(s) as the strike signal speakers  32 ), or it might be sent to external output, similar to the conventional drum synthesizer. What should be understood is that the assembly  24 B of this embodiment has the ability to accept cadence programs from external sources (even from a portable storage media, such as a “floppy disc”), and then execute these cadence programs to output through the speaker(s) and/or light(s). To understand the physical structure of the present invention, we shall now turn to FIG.  7 . 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the assembly  24 A of FIG.  5 . As shown, the assembly  24 A comprises a base  42 A, which is preferably formed with an aperture  44  therein for attachment to (or perching on) an external structure, such as the cymbal stand  46  shown (the user may alternatively choose to attach the assembly  24 A to an actual drum stand). In this embodiment, a striking pad  48 A is attached or formed on the base  42 A to provide the user with a cushioned surface upon which he or she can strike their drum sticks. Also included in this embodiment is a single device that makes up the user interface  28 A, the cadence generator  26 A, the local cadence repository  30 A and at least one strike signal speaker  32 A. This assembly  24 A is used as described herein above, namely the user selects a cadence program from the cadence repository  30 A and sets the cadence generator  26 A to present the desired cadence to the user for practice/training. If we turn to FIG. 8, we can examine yet another embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the assembly  24 B of FIG.  6 . In this embodiment, the base  42 B houses the electronics necessary to provide the functionality described above in connection with FIG.  6 . Protruding from, (or flush with as shown here) the base  42 B is the striking pad  48 B; more detail related to the striking pad  48 B is shown below in connection with FIGS. 9 and 10, however it is pointed out here that disbursed on the striking pad  48 B is one or more of the strike signal lights  34  that were discussed above. When the cadence generator  26 B presents a cadence to the user, and when the lights  34  are employed, it should be appreciated that the different lights disbursed on the face of the striking pad  48 B can be selectively illuminated by the cadence generator to provide the user with specific, visual direction as to when and where to make his or her drum stick strike. This has been demonstrated to provide the user with a very powerful learning tool that uses the visual learning process (in addition to audio learning). 
     Other details shown in this FIG. 8 include the combined strike signal speaker  32  and musical accompaniment speaker  40 ; it should be understood that not every user or every training session will involve the user&#39;s playing of accompaniment music—should such music be desired, however, then the user can have it played by the assembly  24 B. It should further be noted that this embodiment of the assembly  24 B might also include an aperture formed in its base  42 B in order to provide a means for perching it upon a cymbal stand  46 . 
     FIG. 9 is a top view of a preferred embodiment of a striking pad  48 B of the embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 8. As shown, the striking pad  48 B is divided up into three sections (Sections I, II and III); these sections preferably have different colors, for example Section I being green, Section II being blue, and Section III being red. Disbursed across the Sections are a plurality of strike signal lights  34 ; these are preferably labeled as shown to indicate what sound might be coincidentally produced by the strike signal speaker. A complete table is provided below after a description of FIG.  10 . 
     FIG. 10 is a top view of an alternate preferred embodiment  48 C of a striking pad of the present invention of FIGS. 6 and 8. As can be seen, the strike signal lights  34  are labeled differently than in the previous embodiment; it should be understood that each assembly might include the possibility of changing the face of the striking pad  48  to provide a wide variety of configurations of light patterns and labels. An example of how the different labels might be used in a particular embodiment, the following table is provided: 
     TABLE I 
     L=left hand, sound  2 ; 
     R=right hand, sound  2 ; 
     CL=left hand, sound  2 ; 
     CR=right hand, sound  2 ; 
     L R =left hand, sound  2 ; 
     R L =right hand, sound  2 ; and 
     RX=right hand sound  1 . 
     An example of a particular cadence in the format of Table I is: “Triple Paradidles” (a conventional rudimentary exercise): 
     CR, CL, CR, CL, CR, CL, R, R, CR, CL, CR, CL, CR, CL, L, L 
     FIG. 11 is a perspective view of yet another alternate embodiment of the assembly  24 B of FIGS. 6 and 8. In this embodiment, the assembly includes a plurality of remote striking pads  50  that are each connected to the cadence generator by a lead  52  (the leads might be replaced by a wireless connection). The remote striking pads  50  are designed to be placed on surfaces that are remote to the striking pad  48 B, such as on the drums of a drum set. These pads  50  will preferably provide remote strike light signals (and possibly audio strike signals) to the user (i.e. at the remote location), such that the user could use the is assembly  24 B to train specifically on this or her actual drum set. 
     Furthermore, and as shown, the assembly  24 B might be connectable via a personal computer  54  and upload cable  56  and network connection  58  to a network conduit  36  (such as the world-wide web) to retrieve cadence programs (and possibly accompaniment music) from one or more remote cadence repositories. This improved system is shown in FIG. 12 as it might be installed on a conventional drum set  60 . 
     Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just-described preferred embodiment can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.