Harmony recognition technique application

Claim 2

A process for identifying the chord type and root represented by the actuation of one or more playing keys of a musical instrument keyboard capable of representing a group of chord types based on a group of roots, each of the playing keys corresponding to at least one note, said process employing a multiple-element register and multiple-location memory and comprising the steps of: creating with respect to each chord type desired to be recognized a plurality of playing key pattern representations; storing each playing key pattern representation in a memory location having an address representing the chord type corresponding to the playing key pattern representation; generating a note signal corresponding to each note represented by an actuated key irrespective of the octave in which the note is pitched; loading into the register a multi-bit data representation of the note signals; rotating the data loaded into the register until one bit of the data corresponding to an actuated key is shifted into a predetermined element of the register; storing a shift signal corresponding to the number of times the data is rotated; comparing the data resulting from the rotation of the one bit into the predetermined element with the stored playing key pattern representations until a match is located; deriving a chord type signal from the address of the playing key pattern representation resulting in the match; and deriving a root signal from the value of the shift signal, whereby the chord type signal and root signal are available for the synthesis of music.

Claim 3

Apparatus for identifying the chord type and root note represented by the actuation of one or more playing keys of a musical instrument keyboard capable of representing a group of different chord types based on a group of different roots, each of the playing keys corresponding to at least one note, said apparatus comprising: means for creating with respect to each chord type desired to be recognized a plurality of playing key pattern representations, including digital memory means for storing each key pattern representation in a memory location having an address representing a chord type corresponding to the key pattern representation and addressing means for reading the key pattern representations out of the memory means; means for generating a playing key pattern signal identifying the pattern of the one or more actuated playing keys, including means for generating a note signal corresponding to each note represented by an actuated playing key irrespective of the octave in which the note is pitched; register means including multiple elements for storing a multi-bit data representation of the note signal; means for rotating the data loaded into the register means until one bit of the data corresponding to an actuated key is shifted into a predetermined element of the register; means for storing a shift signal corresponding to the number of times the data is rotated; and means for comparing the data resulting from the rotation of the one bit into the predetermined element with the stored key pattern representations until a match is located, for deriving a chord type signal from the address of the key pattern representation resulting in the match, and for deriving a root signal from the value of the shift signal, whereby the chord type signal and the root signal are available for the synthesis of music.

Claim 4

Apparatus for identifying the chord type and root note represented by the actuation of one or more playing keys of a musical instrument keyboard capable of representing a group of different chord types based on a group of different roots, each of the playing keys corresponding to at least one note, said apparatus comprising: means for creating with respect to each chord type desired to be recognized a plurality of playing key pattern representations, including digital memory means for storing each key pattern representation in a memory location having an address representing a chord type corresponding to the key pattern representation and addressing means for reading the key pattern representations out of the memory means; means for generating a playing key pattern signal identifying the pattern of the one or more actuated playing keys, including means for generating a note signal corresponding to each note represented by an actuated playing key irrespective of the octave in which the note is pitched; register means including multiple elements for storing a multi-bit data representation of the note signal; means for rotating the data loaded into the register means until one bit of the data corresponding to an actuated key is shifted into a predetermined element of the register; means for storing a shift signal corresponding to the number of times the data is rotated; and means for comparing the data resulting from the rotation of the one bit into the predetermined element with the stored key pattern representations until a match is located, for deriving a chord type signal from the address of the key pattern representation resulting in the match, and for deriving a root signal from the value of the shift signal, whereby the chord type signal and the root signal are available for the synthesis of music.