Method of tracking record player stylus elapsed play time for quality and maintenance and stylus playtime chronograph for implementing the same

Abstract

A method of tracking record player stylus elapsed play time for quality and maintenance utilizes stylus playtime chronograph. The stylus playtime chronograph includes an internal memory that stores elapsed time of an associated stylus, wherein memory of the elapsed time will be maintained on the chronograph even if power supply is interrupted; a display that will display hour truncated elapsed time of an associated stylus; a start button to start and restart the recording of elapsed time of an associated stylus; a stop button to stop or pause the recording of elapsed time of an associated stylus; and a reset button to allow for resetting of the chronograph and allow the chronograph to be used for the another stylus.

Claims

1. A stylus playtime chronograph comprising: an internal memory that stores elapsed time of an associated stylus, wherein memory of the elapsed time will be maintained on the chronograph even if a power supply to the chronograph is interrupted; a display that will display hour truncated elapsed time of an associated stylus; a start button to start and restart a recording of elapsed time of an associated stylus; a stop button to stop or pause the recording of elapsed time of an associated stylus; and a reset button to allow for resetting of the chronograph and allow the chronograph to be used for another stylus, further including at least one sensor incorporated into the chronograph that will start the recording when the associated stylus begins being used, and stop the recording when the associated stylus stops being used, wherein at least one sensor is a microphone, and wherein the chronograph further includes an algorithm to analyze an ambient noise and distinguish music/recorded sound from background sounds.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a stylus playtime chronograph according to one embodiment of the present invention and used in the method of tracking record player stylus elapsed play time for quality and maintenance according to the present invention; and

(2) FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a stylus playtime chronograph according to a modified embodiment of the present invention and used in the method of tracking record player stylus elapsed play time for quality and maintenance according to the present invention; and

(3) FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a stylus playtime chronograph according to a modified embodiment of the present invention and used in the method of tracking record player stylus elapsed play time for quality and maintenance according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(4) FIGS. 1-3 are schematic views of two stylus playtime chronographs 10 according to two embodiments of the present invention with each usable in a method of tracking record player elapsed stylus play time for quality and maintenance according to the present invention. The device 10 is a specialized chronograph 10 used to track usage of phonograph cartridges and their styluses, as used on turntables for playing vinyl records.

(5) There are multiple reasons it is desirable to track the amount of time and use of a stylus. One reason is wear, as depending on the shape and material used for the stylus tip, a stylus may last between 750 and 4,000 hours before needing replacement. Using a worn stylus will diminish sound quality and may damage records. Another reason in break-in, in that new styluses and cartridges require break-in to sound their best due to the mechanical properties of their physical materials and the way they are assembled. Therefore, by tracking stylus usage precisely the owner can also make note of changes in sound over time, for example noting an improvement in sound quality after 15 hours of use and full break-in at 35 hours of use. Such information is commonly shared by vinyl record hobbyists on internet message boards, thus the ability to easily track such information accurately is important. Another reason is simple economics, in that replacing a cartridge before it is necessary incurs an unnecessary expense, and high-end phonograph cartridges can cost $10,000 or more, while waiting too long can damage a user's valuable record collection. A precise device and associated method of stylus usage measurement allows users to maximize and protect their investments.

(6) It may be helpful to define the term chronograph. The term chronograph comes from the Greek khronográphos or “time recording”, from khrónos meaning “time” and gráphō meaning “to write”. Early versions of the chronograph are the only ones that actually used any “writing”: marking the dial with a small pen attached to the index so that the length of the pen mark would indicate how much time had elapsed. The first modern chronograph was invented by Louis Moinet in 1816, solely for working with astronomical equipment. In 1844 Adolphe Nicole's updated version of the chronograph was the first to include a re-setting feature which now allowed successive measurements, unlike the constantly moving needle in the original chronograph. Chronographs were very popular with early aviators as they allowed them to make rapid calculations and conduct precise timing. The stylus playtime chronographs 10 of the present invention are chronographs in the traditional sense as they measure the elapsed playtime of the stylus of a record player.

(7) FIG. 1 Chronograph 10

(8) As noted above FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a stylus playtime chronograph 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The chronograph 10 has an internal memory that stores elapsed time in hours minutes and seconds, and the power source may be battery or through conventional electrical plugs. The memory of the elapsed time (till a resetting of the chronograph 10) will be maintained if power supply is interrupted, such as changing out a battery for the chronograph 10 or moving from one electrical plug to another (or a power outage). It is critical for the memory of the elapsed time display to be maintained in that the elapsed time is intended to be in the hundreds and thousands of hours extending over a prolonged period.

(9) The chronograph 10 has a display 12 that will display elapsed time in hours on a 4-digit display 14 that displays hour truncated elapsed time (i.e. the total elapsed time in 1 hour increments) up to 9,999 hours. Cartridge manufacturers and end users estimate replacement time and discuss stylus usage in hours, such that minutes and seconds are not particularly useful in the display 12. It is possible for the device 10 to display the hours to the nearest hour of recorded time (i.e. display the rounded hour elapsed time), but the truncated time is deemed more applicable to the particular usage of the device 10 and that preferred by audiophiles.

(10) The display 12 may also include visible hour indicator 14 to clearly convey what is being recorded. The indicator 14 can be used to help convey other information, such as display a resetting indication when the device 10 is being reset by the user to help avoid accidental resets of the device 10 before it is intended to be reset. A speaker 18 is provided and can include audible tones indicative of usage, namely an audible tone which indicates start and stop of the chronograph 10, and even a distinct tone indicating a resetting procedure of the chronograph 10 can be possible.

(11) The chronograph 10 includes a start button 20 to start and restart the recording of elapsed time, and a stop button 22 to stop or pause the recording of elapsed time. It is possible to combine these functions into the same button, but separating the buttons does make operation clearer for the user.

(12) The chronograph 10 includes a reset button 24 to allow for resetting of the chronograph 10 and allow the device 10 to be used for the next stylus. The operation of the reset button 24 should be more involved than a single press to minimize accidental resetting of the chronograph 10, such as requiring the button 24 to be depressed for a full 10 seconds to effect reset of the device 10.

(13) Operation Chronograph 10

(14) In operation with the device 10, when the tonearm is lowered to play the record, the user pushes the start button 20 on the chronograph 10 and the speaker 18 may beep once. The elapsed time will be maintained by the chronograph 10 and the truncated hours displayed on the 4 digit display 14 of display 12.

(15) Because the chronograph digits only change once per hour, it is necessary for the user to be able to verify the operating status. For example, if the user does not recall if they pushed stop after playing a record, they can check the display for the blinking indicator that shows the chronograph is actively recording time. There may be alternative visual indicators that the device 10 is actively recording elapsed time, for example in another example the hour indicator 14 may be flashing to indicate the recording status. In another indicator example the hours displayed on the 4 digit display 14 of display 12 may only be visible a) when the device 10 is recording elapsed time, and b) when the stop button 22 is depressed. In this second example, alternative b) is provided to show the elapsed time such that when the device 10 is not actively recording elapsed play time of the stylus the user can still check the truncated hours by holding down the stop button 22—which will not start the timer but will only display the truncated elapsed time while the button 22 is depressed.

(16) In operation of the chronograph 10, when the tonearm is raised at the end of play, the user pushes the stop button 22 and the chronograph speaker 18 can beep twice. Again the total elapsed time including partial hours are recorded in the memory until the next time the chronograph 10 is active, so all time in use is recorded and maintained on the device 10.

(17) The device 10 may operate from battery (preferably) or be a plug in device operating from conventional power plugs. If a battery powered then the lifespan of the stylus will often exceed the useful life of the chronograph battery, unless the turntable and chronograph 10 are in substantially continuous use, for example by a DJ or a radio station. If the device 10 is plugged in for power access, then the device 10 must also assume a high likelihood of electrical power interruptions before the total life of the stylus is recorded. For these reasons the chronograph 10 must remember the elapsed time when the power supply is interrupted, such as when the battery is removed. When a fresh battery is placed in the chronograph 10 (or power is otherwise restored) the user can resume tracking stylus life where they left off.

(18) Finally as noted above the operation of the reset button 24 is more involved than merely pushing the button 24 in order to minimize accidental resetting of the chronograph 10. One alternative is requiring the button 24 to be depressed for a full 10 seconds to effect reset of the device 10. Another alternative is to depress button 24 with another button (20 or 22) but not the third (22 or 20) for an extended period (say 3 seconds) for resetting. This latter arrangement avoids the resetting if something leans against the button 24 causing it to be depressed, because such an accident would need the accidental depressing of two spaced buttons and not a third, making it highly unlikely.

(19) Automatic Use

(20) To automate operation, a sensor 26 such as microphone can be incorporated into the chronograph that will start the recording process when the stylus is being used, namely the music (or other recorded sound) begins to play, and stop the process when the music (or sound) stops. An AI algorithm may be incorporated into the chronograph 10 to analyze the ambient noise and distinguish music/recorded sound from background sounds.

(21) Alternative sensors 26 may be used and the microphone is simply one example. For example a sensor 26 (such as a power sensor) that indicates when the turntable is moving and the tone arm is not in the stored position could be used. A position type sensor 26 that indicates when the tone arm has moved to an engaged position could be used. There are a large number of possibilities for automating sensors 26. The advantage of the microphone 18 and associated intelligent control is that no modification of the turntable is required and the only requirement is that the device 10 be placed is a designated proximity to the turntable speaker.

(22) Automated usage would seem to have clear practical advantages as it does not require active manipulation by the user. However audiophiles do represent a unique market audience and the greater control offered by, and the greater user attention required by, the manual version of the chronograph 10 may actually be preferred by many audiophiles.

(23) FIG. 2 Chronograph 10

(24) FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a stylus playtime chronograph 10 according to a modified embodiment of the present invention. The chronograph of FIG. 2 includes all the elements of FIG. 1 discussed above and is used in the method of tracking record player stylus elapsed play time for quality and maintenance according to the present invention generally as described above.

(25) The chronograph 10 of FIG. 2 is for the user who owns more than one phono cartridge, and it is provided with separate channels 28 (represented by icons on the display 12) for tracking multiples styluses. In addition to the above operation, the user selects the stylus to be tracked by using an arrow pad on controller 30 to select “Stylus 1” or “Stylus 2,” etc. icons on the display 12 (up to the number of channels 28 of the device) The alphanumeric display 10 may also allow the user to name each stylus recording channel 28 independently by make and model. The start and stop and reset functions will work as described above for the currently indicated channel 28. The internal memory must maintain a record of the elapsed time for each channel 28.

(26) For “Automatic” operation of the chronograph 10 of FIG. 2 through use of sensor(s) 18, if provided, the sensor 18 must be able to distinguish or identify the specific stylus with the channel 28 that is being used. Multiple sensors 18 each tied to a stylus associated with one channel could be possible. RFID tags attachable to each stylus housing would be a further possibility to supplement the sensors 18 and give indication of which stylus or channel 28 should be recorded. Essentially it is important that the “automatic” operation not have any reasonable likelihood of recording time on the “wrong” channel because that would eliminate the advantage of the device 10. The automatic operation of the chronograph 10 of FIG. 2 is more complex than the automation of the chronograph of FIG. 1, and as noted above a manual operation may actually be preferred by many audiophiles.

(27) A further modification is that a countdown option may be incorporated in the chronograph 10. For example, if the user has a cartridge with an expected lifespan, for example 1,500 hours, they can program the expected lifespan along with the custom name for the stylus. They can then scroll through the stylus names and view both the elapsed time and the time remaining before replacement.

(28) FIG. 3 Chronograph 10

(29) FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a stylus playtime chronograph 10 according to a modified embodiment of the present invention. The chronograph of FIG. 3 includes all the elements of FIGS. 1 and 2 discussed above and is used in the method of tracking record player stylus elapsed play time for quality and maintenance according to the present invention generally as described above.

(30) The embodiment of FIG. 3 further adds a Bluetooth compatibility 32 with a user device 34, such as a lap top or smart phone. In this embodiment the user can download an application (App) from the cloud (web) 40 that is associated with the device 10. The user can use their coupled or paired user device 34 to control the chronograph 10 and to display the relevant hours (for a channel) from the chronograph 10. Additionally the downloadable app can include information from specific manufacturers that the chronograph 10 can use to give the user indications on their user device 34 of when the stylus needs replaced or merely maintenance. For example there may be a notice sent by the chronograph to the user device 34 to inspect the associated stylus every 200 hours of use and replace the associated stylus after 1200 hours for a particular brand of stylus associated with a given channel.

(31) The above description is representative of the present invention but not restrictive thereof. The full scope of the present invention are set forth in the appended claims and equivalents thereto.