Electronic stringed instrument

Claim 2

An electronic stringed instrument having an instrument main body (100, 131, 1); at least one string member (112, 132, 3) extended at a predetermined position on said instrument main body (100, 131, 1), said string member (112, 132, 3) being deviated against a tension upon a string displace operation to be brought into a tense state from a rest state, and string member (112, 132, 3) being released from the tense state upon a string release operation thereafter, characterized by comprising: string trigger switch means (TSW, TrSW) coupled to said string member for switching on in response to the string release operation to generate a tone generation start instruction signal (Tr); and musical tone generating means (120, 155 - 159, 31, 35, 36) coupled to said string trigger switch means (TSW, TrSW) for starting generation of a musical tone at an output timing of the tone generation start instruction signal generated upon switching on of said string trigger switch means (TSW, TrSW) in accordance with the string release operation.

Claim 3

An electronic stringed instrument having an instrument main body (100, 131, 1); at least one string member (112, 132, 3) extended at a predetermined position on said instrument main body (100, 131, 1), said string member (112, 132, 3) being deviated against a tension upon a string displace operation to be brought into a tense state from a rest state, and said string member (112, 132, 3) being released from the tense state upon a string release operation thereafter; and pitch designating means (119, PSW, 151b, 153a, 17, 18), arranged at a predetermined position of said instrument main body (131, 1) in correspondence with said string member (132, 3), for, when depressed, outputting a pitch designating signal corresponding to the depressed position, characterized by comprising: string trigger switch means (TSW, TrSW) coupled to said string member (132, 3) for switching on in response to the string release operation to generate a tone generation start instruction signal (Tr); and musical tone generating means (120, 155 - 159, 31, 35, 36), coupled to said string trigger switch means (TSW, TrSW) and said pitch designating means (PSW, 151b, 153a, 17, 18), for starting generation of a musical tone at a pitch designated by said pitch designating means (PSW, 151b, 153a, 17, 18) in synchoronism with an output timing of the tone generation start instruction signal from said string trigger switch means (TSW, TrSW).

Claim 4

An electronic stringed instrument having an instrument main body (100, 131, 1); at least one string member (112, 132, 3) extended at a predetermined position on said instrument main body (100, 131, 1), said string member (112, 132, 3) being deviated against a tension upon a string displace operation to be brought into a tense state from a rest state, and said string member (112, 132, 3) being released from the tense state upon a string release operation thereafter; and pitch designating means (119, PSW, 151b, 153a, 17, 18), arranged at a predetermined position of said instrument main body (131, 1) in correspondence with said string member (132, 3), for, when depressed, outputting a pitch designating signal corresponding to the depressed position, characterized by comprising: string trigger switch means (TSW, TrSW) coupled to said string member (132, 3) for switching on in response to the string release operation to generate a tone generation start instruction signal (Tr); and musical tone generating means (120, 155 - 159, 31, 35, 36), coupled to said string trigger switch means (TSW, TrSW) and said pitch designating means (PSW, 151b, 153a, 17, 18), for starting generation of a musical tone at a pitch designated by said pitch designating means (PSW, 151b, 153a, 17, 18) in synchoronism with an output timing of the tone generation start instruction signal from said string trigger switch means (TSW, TrSW).

Claim 5

An electronic stringed instrument having an instrument main body (1); at least one string member (3) extended at a predetermined position on said instrument main body (1), said string member (3) being deviated against a tension upon a string displace operation to be brought into a tense state from a rest state, and said string member (3) being released from the tense state upon a string release operation thereafter; and pitch designating means (PSW, 17, 18), arranged at a predetermined position of said instrument main body (1) in correspondence with said string member (3), for, when depressed, outputting a pitch designating signal corresponding to the depressed position, characterized by comprising: string trigger switch means (TrSW) coupled to said string member (3) for switching on in response to the string release operation to generate a tone generation start instruction signal (Tr); musical tone generating means (35, 36), coupled to said string trigger switch means (TrSW) and said pitch designating means (PSW, 17, 18), for starting generation of a musical tone at a pitch designated by said pitch designating means (PSW, 17, 18) in synchronism with an output timing of the tone generation start instruction signal from said string trigger switch means (TrSW); touch response detecting means (TchSW), arranged on said instrument main body (1) to be coupled to said string member (3), for detecting a touch response of the string release operation to sad string member (13); and musical tone control means (31) for controlling characteristics of a musical tone generated by said musical tone generating means (35, 36) in accordance with the touch response of said string member (3) detected by said touch response detecting means (TchSW).

Claim 6

An electronic stringed instrument having an instrument main body (1); at least one string member (3) extended at a predetermined position on said instrument main body (1), said string member (3) being deviated against a tension upon a string displace operation to be brought into a tense state from a rest state, and said string member (3) being released from the tense state upon a string release operation thereafter; and pitch designating means (PSW, 17, 18), arranged at a predetermined position of said instrument main body (1) in correspondence with said string member (3), for, when depressed, outputting a pitch designating signal corresponding to the depressed position, characterized by comprising: string trigger switch means (TrSW) coupled to said string member (3) for switching on in response to the string release operation to generate a tone generation start instruction signal (Tr); musical tone generating means (35, 36), coupled to said string trigger switch means (TrSW) and said pitch designating means (PSW, 17, 18), for starting generation of a musical tone at a pitch designated by said pitch designating means (PSW, 17, 18) in synchronism with an output timing of the tone generation start instruction signal from said string trigger switch means (TrSW); touch response detecting means (TchSW), arranged on said instrument main body (1) to be coupled to said string member (3), for detecting a touch response of the string release operation to sad string member (13); and musical tone control means (31) for controlling characteristics of a musical tone generated by said musical tone generating means (35, 36) in accordance with the touch response of said string member (3) detected by said touch response detecting means (TchSW).

Claim 7

an instrument according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3 characterized in that said string trigger switch (TSW, TrSW) means comprises a conductive contact member (112, 132, 318, 328, 3, 48) coupled to said string member (112, 132, 3), a conductive elastic member (115, 150, 164, 326, 333, 346, 24, 50, 80) arranged around said conductive contact member (112, 132, 318, 328, 3, 48), and an insulating member (17, 142, 325, 23, 49, 73, 23) for electrically insulating said conductive elastic member (115, 150, 164, 326, 333, 346, 24, 50, 80) and said conductive contact member (112, 132, 318, 328, 3, 48), said string trigger switch means (TSW, TrSW) being arranged so that while said string member (112, 132, 3) is displaced from its state of rest, said conductive elastic member (115, 150, 164, 326, 333, 346, 24, 50, 80) and said conductive contact member (112, 132, 318, 328, 3, 48) are displaced in the same direction as the deviating direction of said string member (112, 132, 3) while maintaining a predetermined gap therebetween so as to maintain a switch-off state, and when said string member (112, 132, 3) is released from its state of ten­sion, said conductive elastic member (115, 150, 164, 326, 333, 346, 24, 50, 80) and said conductive contact member (112, 132, 318, 328, 3, 48) are in electrical contact with each other to establish a switch-on state due to a lower return speed of said conductive elastic member (115, 150, 164, 326, 333, 346, 24, 50, 80) than that of said conductive contact member (112, 132, 318, 328, 3, 48).

Claim 8

An instrument according to claim 4, characterized in that said insulating member comprises a pair of sub-insulating members (149a, 149b, 325a, 325b, 49₁, 49₂) adhered to said conductive contact member (112, 132, 318, 328, 3, 48) with a predetermined distance therebetween, and said conductive elastic member (115, 150, 164, 326, 333, 346, 24, 50, 80) is arranged to extend between said pair of sub-insulating members (149a, 149b, 325a, 325b, 49₁, 49₂), so that said conductive elastic member (115, 150, 164, 326, 333, 346, 24, 50, 80) maintains a predetermined gap from said conductive contact member (112, 132, 318, 328, 3, 48) at a central portion between said pair of sub-insulating members (149a, 149b, 325a, 325b, 49₁, 49₂) in a normal state and is in electrical contact with said conductive contact member (112, 132, 318, 328, 3, 48) upon the string release operation.

Claim 9

An instrument according to claim 4, characterized in that said conductive elastic member (115, 150, 64, 326, 333, 346, 24, 50, 80) comprises any one of a coil spring-like conductor (115, 150, 326) and a tubular conductor (164, 333, 346, 24, 50, 80) having a flexibility.

Claim 10

An instrument according to claim 4, characterized in that one end of said conductive contact member (318, 328, 48) is coupled to one end of said string member (132, 3) and the other end thereof is pivotally supported on said instrument main body (131).

Claim 11

An instrument according to claim 3, characterized in that said touch response detecting means (TchSW) comprises plucking force detecting means (24, 26, 44₁, 44₂, 40, 70, 50, 44, 60, 67, 65, 62, 67, 70), coupled to said string member (3), for detecting a plucking force upon the string release operation, and touch level detecting means (29, 32) for detecting a peak value of touch response data (Tch) in accordance with the plucking force detected by said plucking force detecting means (24, 26, 44₁, 44₂, 40, 70, 50, 44, 60, 67, 65, 62, 67, 70).

Claim 12

An instrument according to claim 8, characterized in that said touch level detecting means (29, 32) comprises touch response signal outputting means (29) for outputting a touch response signal (Tch) corresponding to the plucking force detected by said plucking force detecting means (24, 26, 44₁, 44₂, 40, 70, 50, 44, 60, 67, 65, 62, 67, 70), and analog-to-digital conversion means (32) for converting the touch response signal (Tch) output from said outputting means (29) into a digital signal.

Claim 13

An instrument according to claim 3, characterized in that said musical tone control means (31) comprises storage means (33) for temporarily storing a peak value of the touch response data (TD) output from said touch response detecting means (29, 32) upon the string release operation and for outputting the peak value of the touch response data (TD) in response to the tone generation start instruction signal output from said string trigger switch means (Tr).

Claim 14

An instrument according to claim 8, characterized in that said plucking force detecting means (24, 26) comprises a magnet (26) fixed to said string member (3), and a conductive magnetic member (24) which is fixed to said string member (3) through an insulating member (23) so as to be magnetically coupled to said magnet (26) and generates an induced electromotive force corresponding to a deviation of said string member (3) upon the string release operation.

Claim 15

An instrument according to claim 8, characterized in that said plucking force detecting means comprises a rod-like conductor (48, 3) coupled to said string member (3) to form a first electrode, a piezoelectric film (71) formed on an outer surface of said rod-like conductor (48, 3), an electrode layer (72) formed on said piezoelectric film (71) to form a second electrode, and a shock providing member (50, 24) arranged around said rod-like conductor (48, 3), said shock providing member (50, 24) deviating in the same direction as that of said electrode layer (72) while maintaining a predetermined gap therefrom during the string displace operation and the string release operation of said string member (3), and being partially urged against said electrode layer (72) after the string release operation.

Claim 16

An instrument according to claim 12, characterized in that said shock providing member (50) is supported by a pair of support members (49₁, 49₂), two ends of each of which are fixed to said rod-like conductor (48) with a predetermined interval therebetween, said piezoelectric film (71) and said electrode layer (72) being formed on said rod-like conductor (48) between said pair of support members (49₁, 49₂).

Claim 17

An instrument according to claim 8, characterized in that said plucking force detecting means (TchSW) comprises magnetic detecting means (60, 62, 63, 67), coupled to one end of said string member (3), for magnetically detecting a deviation of said string member (3) in a longitudinal direction thereof and generating an induced electromotive force corresponding to the deviation.

Claim 18

An instrument according to claim 14, characterized in that said plucking force detecting means (TchSW) comprises a pressure sensitive element (70) provided to a support member (19) for fixing an end portion of said string member (3) to said instrument main body (1).