US3617604A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electronic musical instrument capable of generating musical tone signals simulating the sounds of a wind instrument
Assignee: Nippon Gakki Co Ltd
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Filing: 1970-03-19
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Granted: 1971-11-02
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Expires: 1990-03-19
Abstract
Abstract An electronic musical instrument produces musical tones simulating a natural flute voice closely. The instrument comprises a fundamental tone-pitched signal generator, a keyer associated with a key and keying the signal from the generator with an amplitude responsive to a depressing force of the key, a filter giving a tone color, as a formant component, of the flute voice to the keyed signal from the keyer, a tone pitched noise generator with a percussive envelope having a peak amplitude which is less responsive to the key-depressing force than the amplitude of the fundamental tone pitched signal, or not responsive to the key-depressing force. The tone signal having the flute formant and the noise signal having the pitch sense are mixed and radiated from a loudspeaker.
Inventors
- 👤 Takeshi Adachi
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 16:23
CPC Classifications
G; G10; G10H; G10H1/00; G10H1/02; G10H1/06; G10H1/14
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
158 words
An electronic musical instrument comprising a keyboard having a plurality of juxtaposed keys operatively connected to touchresponsive keyboard sections for generating a DC voltage whose level varies with the magnitude of a force with which the keys of said keyboard are depressed, a first circuit means for forming a fundamental tone-pitched signal component having a tone color resembling that of a formant component included in the sounds of a wind instrument sustainable for a length of time fully controlled by the output from said touch-responsive keyboard section, a second circuit means for forming a tone-pitched noise signal component having a tone color resembling that of a noise component included in the sounds of said wind instrument sustainable for a relatively short length of time not fully controllable by said keyboard and signal mixing means which compose signal components from both said first and second circuit means into musical tones consisting of composite signals for reproduction through a loudspeaker.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
158 words
An electronic musical instrument comprising a keyboard having a plurality of juxtaposed keys operatively connected to touchresponsive keyboard sections for generating a DC voltage whose level varies with the magnitude of a force with which the keys of said keyboard are depressed, a first circuit means for forming a fundamental tone-pitched signal component having a tone color resembling that of a formant component included in the sounds of a wind instrument sustainable for a length of time fully controlled by the output from said touch-responsive keyboard section, a second circuit means for forming a tone-pitched noise signal component having a tone color resembling that of a noise component included in the sounds of said wind instrument sustainable for a relatively short length of time not fully controllable by said keyboard and signal mixing means which compose signal components from both said first and second circuit means into musical tones consisting of composite signals for reproduction through a loudspeaker.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
76 words
The musical instrument according to claim 1 wherein each of said touch-responsive keyboard sections comprises a permanent magnetic piece integrally fitted to the underside of the depressed end of each key, a coil facing the position at which said permanent magnetic piece is depressed when the corresponding key is depressed, so as to cut a magnetic flux from said magnetic piece and rectifying means for rectifying an AC current induced across both ends of said coil.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
44 words
The musical instrument of claim 1 wherein said first circuit means forms a signal component having an envelope of sustained substantially constant level and the pitch of the tone of said noise signal is at least equal to that of said formant component signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
97 words
The musical instrument of claim 1 which simulates a natural flute voice and comprises a fundamental tone-pitched signal generator, a key, a keyer associated with said key and keying the signal from said generator with an amplitude responsive to a depressing force applied to said key, a filter giving a tone color as a formant component of the flute voice to the keyed signal from said keyer, a tone-pitched noise generator and a percussion keyer associated with said key for keying the signal from said tone-pitched noise generator with an amplitude not responsive to said depressing force.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
73 words
The musical instrument according to claim 1 wherein said first circuit means comprises fundamental tone-pitched signal generators for generating fundamental tone-pitched signals having a tone pitch corresponding to a given depressed key, keyers for controlling output signals from said generator corresponding to said depressed key in keying action using output signals from said touch-responsive keyboard section as keying signals and filters supplied with output signals from the keyer corresponding to said depressed key.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
112 words
The musical instrument according to claim 1 wherein said second circuit means comprises a white noise signal source for generating white noise signals, a filter for drawing out only a desired frequency component included in said white noise signals, tone signal generators for generating tone signals having a tone pitch corresponding to a given depressed key, balanced modulators for modulating white noise signals obtained from said filter by tone signals from said generator corresponding to said depressed key, variable-resistance elements supplied with output signals from said modulators and provided with a control electrode and control signal sources for supplying control signals to obtain from said resistance elements output signals from said modulators.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
105 words
The musical instrument according to claim 1 wherein said second circuit means comprises a white noise signal source for generating white noise signals, high Q filters which are supplied with said white noise signals through keying switches interlockingly switched with a given depressed key so as to form tone-pitched noise signals having a tone pitch corresponding to said depressed key, variable resistance elements supplied with output signals from said filters and provided with a control electrode and control signal sources for supplying control signals to obtain from said elements output signals from said filters while the control electrode of said elements is supplied with signals.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
65 words
The musical instrument according to claim 6 wherein the end of said variable-resistance elements through which there are supplied output signals from said balanced modulators is also supplied with output signals from said touch-responsive keyboard sections so as to cause the voltage level of Output signals from said balanced modulators is vary with the magnitude of a force with which there is depressed a key.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
16 words
The musical instrument according to claim 6 wherein said variable-resistance elements consist of field effect transistors.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
16 words
The musical instrument according to claim 7 wherein said variable-resistance elements consist of field effect transistors.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
The musical instrument according to claim 6 wherein said variable-resistance elements consist of photoelectric converting elements.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
17 words
The musical instrument according to claim 7 where in said variable-resistance elements consist of photoelectric converting elements.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
44 words
The musical instrument according to claim 6 wherein said control signal sources comprise DC sources and shaping circuits, including differentiating and integrating circuits which are supplied with a DC voltage from said DC sources through keying switches interlockingly switched with a given depressed key.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
44 words
The musical instrument according to claim 7 wherein said control signal sources comprise DC sources and shaping circuits, including differentiating and integrating circuits which are supplied with a DC voltage from said DC sources through keying switches interlockingly switched with a given depressed key.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
20 words
The musical instrument according to claim 6 wherein said control signal sources utilize output signals from said touch-responsive keyboard sections.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
20 words
The musical instrument according to claim 7 wherein said control signal sources utilize output signals from said touch-responsive keyboard sections.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-11-01 | 1975-05-03 | 1975-11-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-11-01 | 1979-05-03 | 1979-11-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-11-01 | 1983-05-03 | 1983-11-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |