Electronic musical instrument with surrounding light sensitive musical effect control

Claim 2

In an electronic musical instrument comprising a source of tone signals coupled through a keyer to a musical effect control means which includes at least one of an amplifier circuit, a tone coloring filter circuit, and a tremelo oscillator circuit coupled in the path of said tone signals to control said tone signals to create musical effects, a vibrato oscillator circuit connected to said source of tone signals, and sound producing means coupled to said musical effect control means, an ambient light detecting means located to receive surrounding light from the area in which said instrument is located, said ambient light detecting means comprising at least one light-sensitive element having a light variable characteristic and arranged to receive said surrounding light from the area in which said instrument is located, said at least one light sensitive element being connected within the circuit of at least one of said amplifier, tone color filter, vibrato oscillator, and tremelo oscillator to control the musical effects in accordance with the characteristic of said lightsensitive element which varies responsive to the condition of said surrounding light.

Claim 3

The electronic musical instrument according to claim 1 wherein said musical effect control means includes a tone coloring filter, and wherein said at least one light-sensitive element comprises a light-sensitive variable resistor coupled to said tone coloring filter for defining the frequency characteristic of said tone coloring filter.

Claim 4

The electronic musical instrument according to claim 1 wherein said musical effect control means includes a tone signal amplifier and wherein said at least one light-sensitive element includes a light-sensitive variable resistor coupled to said amplifier to vary its gain with respect to tone signals.

Claim 5

The electronic musical instrument according to claim 1 wherein said vibrato oscillator imparts a vibrato effect to tone signals and wherein said at least one light-sensitive element comprises a light-sensitive variable resistor coupled to said vibrato oscillator to determine the oscillation frequency of said vibrato oscillator.

Claim 6

The electronic musical instrument according to claim 1 wherein said musical effect control means includes a tremolo oscillator adapted to impart a tremolo effect to tone signals, and wherein said at least one light-sensitive element includes comprises a light-sensitive variable resistor coupled to said tremolo oscillator to determine the oscillation frequency of said tremolo oscillator.

Claim 7

The electronic musical instrument according to claim 1 wherein said musical effect control circuit includes a tremolo effect to tone signals, and wherein said at least one light-sensitive element comprises a light-sensitive variable resistor coupled to said tremolo oscillator to control the level of an output from said tremolo oscillator.

Claim 8

The electronic musical instrument according to claim 12 wherein said ambient light detecting means includes an optical filter permeable only to a predetermined colored light and located in the light path to said light-sensitive element.

Claim 9

The electronic musical instrument according to claim 1 wherein said at least one light-sensitive element is a cadmium sulfide cell.

Claim 10

An electronic musical instrument comprising: a source of toNe signals; at least first and second tone coloring filters connected through a keyer to receive the tone signals from said source, said tone filters having different frequency characteristics; an ambient light detecting means connected to receive surrounding light from the area in which the instrument is located, said ambient light detecting means being responsive to first and second surrounding colored lights and comprising light sensitive means coupled to the outputs of said first and second tone coloring filters so as to allow the passage of an output from said first tone coloring filter in response to said first surrounding colored light, but to substantially prevent the passage of an output from said second tone coloring filter for said first surrounding colored light, and to allow the passage of an output from said second tone coloring filter in response to said second surrounding colored light, but to substantially prevent the passage of an output from said first tone coloring filter for said second surrounding colored light, and sound producing means coupled to the outputs of said tone coloring filters.

Claim 11

An electronic musical instrument comprising: a source of toNe signals; at least first and second tone coloring filters connected through a keyer to receive the tone signals from said source, said tone filters having different frequency characteristics; an ambient light detecting means connected to receive surrounding light from the area in which the instrument is located, said ambient light detecting means being responsive to first and second surrounding colored lights and comprising light sensitive means coupled to the outputs of said first and second tone coloring filters so as to allow the passage of an output from said first tone coloring filter in response to said first surrounding colored light, but to substantially prevent the passage of an output from said second tone coloring filter for said first surrounding colored light, and to allow the passage of an output from said second tone coloring filter in response to said second surrounding colored light, but to substantially prevent the passage of an output from said first tone coloring filter for said second surrounding colored light, and sound producing means coupled to the outputs of said tone coloring filters.

Claim 12

The electronic musical instrument according to claim 9 wherein said ambient light detecting means comprises: first and second light-sensitive variable resistors connected in series with the output of said first tone coloring filter, said first and second variable resistors being adapted to rspond to said first and second colored lights respectively; a third light-sensitive variable resistor connected in series with the output of said second tone coloring filter; and a fourth light-sensitive variable resistor connected to shunt the output of said second tone coloring filter, said third and fourth variable resistors being adapted to respond to said first and second colored lights respectively.

Claim 13

The electronic musical instrument according to claim 10 wherein said ambient light detecting means further comprises: at least one first optical filter in the light path of said first and third variable resistors for allowing the passage of only said first colored light to said first and third variable resistors; and at least one second optical filter in the light path of said second and fourth variable resistors for allowing the passage of only said second colored light to said second and fourth variable resistors.