US3897709A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electronic musical instrument
Assignee: Nippon Gakki Co Ltd
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Filing: 1974-04-03
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Granted: 1975-08-05
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Expires: 1994-04-03
Abstract
Abstract An electronic musical instrument comprising: a tone generator including a voltage-controlled oscillator; a voltage-controlled filter for coloring tone signal; a voltage-controlled amplifier for imparting a desired envelope to the tone signal; voltage waveform generators for generating controlling voltage waveforms for the oscillator, filter and amplifier; and a waveform controller for controlling said controlling voltage waveforms by the use of voltage parameters representing the initial level, attack level, attack time, first decay time, sustain level, and second decay time, thereby controlling the generated musical sounds in a time-dependent manner easily and variously. The waveform controller can include a plurality of fixed and variable memories which can be easily pre-set and/or selected, or totally replaced.
Inventors
- 👤 Teruo Hiyoshi
- 👤 Eisaku Okamoto
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 00:26
CPC Classifications
G; G10; G10H; G10H5/00; G10H5/002; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S84/00; Y10S84/08; Y10S84/09; Y10S84/20
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
159 words
An electronic musical instrument comprising: a keyboard section including a plurality of keys each generating when depressed a voltage signal representing a tone pitch of a depressed key and a trigger signal indicating the operation of said key; tone generator means including a voltage controlled oscillator coupled to said keyboard section and generating a tone signal having a frequency determined by said voltage signal representing the depressed key; a voltage controlled frequency-variable filter connected to said tone generator means and receiving said tone signal; a first controlling voltage waveform generator connected to said keyboard section and said filter and generating upon operation of a key a voltage waveform having levels and transient times varying with time for controlling said frequency variable filter in accordance therewith; and a controlling circuit independent of said keyboard section and connected to said waveform generator for supplying voltage information to said waveform generator thereby determining said levels and transient times of the voltage waveform.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
159 words
An electronic musical instrument comprising: a keyboard section including a plurality of keys each generating when depressed a voltage signal representing a tone pitch of a depressed key and a trigger signal indicating the operation of said key; tone generator means including a voltage controlled oscillator coupled to said keyboard section and generating a tone signal having a frequency determined by said voltage signal representing the depressed key; a voltage controlled frequency-variable filter connected to said tone generator means and receiving said tone signal; a first controlling voltage waveform generator connected to said keyboard section and said filter and generating upon operation of a key a voltage waveform having levels and transient times varying with time for controlling said frequency variable filter in accordance therewith; and a controlling circuit independent of said keyboard section and connected to said waveform generator for supplying voltage information to said waveform generator thereby determining said levels and transient times of the voltage waveform.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
74 words
An electronic musical instrument according to claim 1, further comprising: a second controlling voltage waveform generator controlled by a signal representing the operation of a key and generating upon operation of a key a voltage waveform having levels and transients varying with time for controlling said voltage controlled oscillator in accordance therewith, and wherein said controlling circuit supplies voltage information to said second waveform generator thereby determining said voltage waveform of said second generator.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
An electronic musical instrument according to claim 2, in which said levels of voltage waveforms are fixed at reference levels.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
108 words
An Electronic musical instrument according to claim 2, in which said controlling circuit includes a panel board having a depiction of controlling waveforms for the time dependent tone pitch and tone coloring control; a plurality of manipulating means disposed at positions corresponding to said depiction corresponding to the variables for determining the shape of said controlling waveforms; a plurality of variable setting circuits disposed in correspondence to the respective manipulating means and capable of setting variables for said controlling variables, each of said variable setting circuit includes a voltage-dividing resistance circuit and a switch circuit; means for independently deriving the variable setting signals from said variable setting circuits.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
53 words
An electronic musical instrument according to claim 2, in which said controlling circuit includes a plurality of memory means setting a plurality of variables for determining the shape of the controlling waveforms with resistance circuits and a selection switch for selecting one of said memory means and connecting it to said waveform generators.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
54 words
An electronic musical instrument according to claim 2, in which said controlling circuit includes an assembling board mounting a plurality of unit memory boards each of which contains a plurality of resistance circuits for storing the voltage information for determining the controlling waveforms, and a selecting means for selectively connecting one unit memory board.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
54 words
An electronic musical instrument according to claim 2, in which said controlling circuit includes a memory circuit storing a plurality of variables for determining the shape of said controlling voltage waveforms and a variable control means including variable resistances for variably controlling said variables by adding variations to the outputs of said memory circuit.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
31 words
An electronic musical instrument according to claim 7, in which said additive variation is zero when the manipulator for the corresponding variable resistor is at its center of the movable range.
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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) | 1978-08-04 | 1979-02-03 | 1979-08-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-08-04 | 1983-02-03 | 1983-08-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-08-04 | 1987-02-03 | 1987-08-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |