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US4796509A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Electronic tuning apparatus

Assignee: Yamaha Corp
•
Filing: 1987-11-18
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Granted: 1989-01-10
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Expires: 2007-11-18
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Abstract

Abstract An electronic tuning apparatus is constructed of an input device for inputting a tone signal to be measured, a signal generating circuit for generating a plurality of reference frequency signals, respectively, corresponding to a plurality of tone names independently for each tone name, a plurality of display devices, respectively, corresponding to a plurality of tone names and a plurality of display control devices, respectively, corresponding to a plurality of tone names. To the signal generating circuit, a scale selecting switch and a pitch adjustor are connected. Each display control device is constructed so as to display an agreement of the frequency of said tone name at a predetermined octave with the frequency of said input tone signal in the display device corresponding to said tone name. The display is realized by an on-off arrangement pattern composed of a plurality of turned-on luminous elements and a plurality of turned-off luminous elements. According to the electronic tuning apparatus of the present invention, it is not necessary to take a lot of time and labor for changing-over an octave and a tone name and, as the measurement results are displayed at once after a tone to be measured is inputted, a tuning for each tone name can be performed easily and quickly. Furthermore, a tuning, based on the equal temperament scale and the just intonation scale, is possible.

Inventors

  • 👤 Masaaki Mizuguchi
  • 👤 Hirohisa Kuroyanagi

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 16:55
CPC Classifications
G; G10; G10G; G10G7/00; G10G7/02

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim 189 words
An electronic tuning apparatus comprising: (a) input means for inputting a tone signal to be measured; (b) signal generating means for generating a plurality of reference frequency signals, respectively, corresponding to a plurality of predetermined tone names independently for each tone; (C) a plurality of groups of luminous elements, respectively, corresponding to said plurality of tone names; (d) a plurality of display control means arranged, respectively, corresponding to said plurality of tone names; and in which each of said display control means drives the group of luminous elements corresponding to said tone name on the basis of the reference frequency signal of the corresponding tone name from said signal generating means and the input tone signal from said input means, and an on-off arrangement pattern composed of turned-on luminous elements and turned-off luminous elements is differently displayed in the group of luminous elements corresponding to said tone name between the case of the agreement of the frequency of said input tone signal with the frequency of said tone name at a certain octave and the case of the agreement with the frequency of said tone name at another octave.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 189 words
An electronic tuning apparatus comprising: (a) input means for inputting a tone signal to be measured; (b) signal generating means for generating a plurality of reference frequency signals, respectively, corresponding to a plurality of predetermined tone names independently for each tone; (C) a plurality of groups of luminous elements, respectively, corresponding to said plurality of tone names; (d) a plurality of display control means arranged, respectively, corresponding to said plurality of tone names; and in which each of said display control means drives the group of luminous elements corresponding to said tone name on the basis of the reference frequency signal of the corresponding tone name from said signal generating means and the input tone signal from said input means, and an on-off arrangement pattern composed of turned-on luminous elements and turned-off luminous elements is differently displayed in the group of luminous elements corresponding to said tone name between the case of the agreement of the frequency of said input tone signal with the frequency of said tone name at a certain octave and the case of the agreement with the frequency of said tone name at another octave.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 45 words
An electronic tuning apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising scale selecting means, and in which said signal generating means generates the reference frequency signal having the frequency corresponding to each of said tone name according to the scale selected by said scale selecting means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 31 words
An electronic tuning apparatus according to claim 2, in which said scale selecting means include change-over switch means for selecting at least an equal temperament scale and a just intonation scale.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 47 words
An electronic tuning apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising pitch adjusting means, and in which said signal generating means controls the pitch of the reference frequency signal to be generated from said signal generating means independently for each tone name by manipulating said pitch adjusting means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 29 words
An electronic tuning apparatus according to claim 1, in which said signal generating means include twelve tone generators generating twelve reference frequency signals, respectively, corresponding to twelve tone names.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 253 words
An electronic tuning apparatus according to claim 5, in which each of said plurality of display means of each tone name includes eight luminous elements; each of said plurality of display control means includes four hexadecimal counters of a first, second, third and fourth and four decoders of a first, second, third and fourth, respectively, connected to each output side of said four hexadecimal counters; each anode of said eight luminous elements is connected to each output side of said four decoders; said first hexadecimal counter for each tone name is connected to corresponding each of said twelve tone generators; said second hexadecimal counter is connected to said first hexadecimal counter so that a frequency divided output, having a frequency of 1/4 of the reference frequency signal inputted to said first hexadecimal counter, is inputted; said third hexadecimal counter is connected to said second hexadecimal counter so that a frequency divided output, having a frequency of 1/16 of said reference fequency signal, is inputted; said fourth hexadecimal counter is connected to said third hexadecimal counter so that a frequency divided output, having a frequency of 1/64 of said reference frequency signal, is inputted; and each cathode of said eight luminous elements is connected to said input means so that the tone signal to be measured may be inputted to said each cathode, each of said luminous elements is turned on only when a high level signal is inputted to its anode side and a low level signal is inputted to its cathode side.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 22 words
An electronic tuning apparatus according to claim 1, in which said plurality of groups of luminous elements is arranged in a line.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 23 words
An electronic tuning apparatus according to claim 1, in which said plurality of groups of luminous elements is arranged parallelly for each group.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 169 words
An electronic tuning apparatus comprising: input means for inputting a tone signal to be measured; signal generating means for generating a plurality of reference frequency signals, respectively, corresponding to a plurality of predetermined tone names independently for each tone; a plurality of display means, respectively, corresponding to said plurality of tone names; a plurality of display control means arranged, respectively, corresponding to said plurality of tone names; scale selecting means; and in which each of said display control means is constructed to display an agreement of the frequency of said tone name at a predetermined octave with the frequency of said input tone signal in the display means corresponding to said tone name on the basis of the reference frequency signal of the corresponding tone name from said signal generating means and the input tone signal from said input means; and said signal generating means generates the reference frequency having the frequency corresponding to each of said tone name according to the scale selected by said scale selecting means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 169 words
An electronic tuning apparatus comprising: input means for inputting a tone signal to be measured; signal generating means for generating a plurality of reference frequency signals, respectively, corresponding to a plurality of predetermined tone names independently for each tone; a plurality of display means, respectively, corresponding to said plurality of tone names; a plurality of display control means arranged, respectively, corresponding to said plurality of tone names; scale selecting means; and in which each of said display control means is constructed to display an agreement of the frequency of said tone name at a predetermined octave with the frequency of said input tone signal in the display means corresponding to said tone name on the basis of the reference frequency signal of the corresponding tone name from said signal generating means and the input tone signal from said input means; and said signal generating means generates the reference frequency having the frequency corresponding to each of said tone name according to the scale selected by said scale selecting means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 31 words
An electronic tuning apparatus according to claim 9, in which said scale selecting means include change-over switch means for selecting at least an equal temperament scale and a just intonation scale.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 172 words
An electronic tuning apparatus comprising: input means for inputting a tone signal to be measured; signal generating means for generating a plurality of reference frequency signals, respectively, corresponding to a plurality of predetermined tone names independently for each tone; a plurality of display means, respectively, corresponding to said plurality of tone names; a plurality of display control means arranged, respectively, corresponding to said plurality of tone names; pitch adjusting means; and in which each of said display control means is constructed to display an agreement of the frequency of said tone name at a predetermined octave with the frequency of said input tone signal in the display means corresponding to said tone name on the basis of the reference frequency signal of the corresponding tone name from said signal generating means and the input tone signal from said input means; and said signal generating means controls the pitch of the reference frequency signal to be generated from said signal generating means independently for each tone name by manipulating said pitch adjusting means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 172 words
An electronic tuning apparatus comprising: input means for inputting a tone signal to be measured; signal generating means for generating a plurality of reference frequency signals, respectively, corresponding to a plurality of predetermined tone names independently for each tone; a plurality of display means, respectively, corresponding to said plurality of tone names; a plurality of display control means arranged, respectively, corresponding to said plurality of tone names; pitch adjusting means; and in which each of said display control means is constructed to display an agreement of the frequency of said tone name at a predetermined octave with the frequency of said input tone signal in the display means corresponding to said tone name on the basis of the reference frequency signal of the corresponding tone name from said signal generating means and the input tone signal from said input means; and said signal generating means controls the pitch of the reference frequency signal to be generated from said signal generating means independently for each tone name by manipulating said pitch adjusting means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 399 words
An electronic tuning apparatus comprising: input means for inputting a tone signal to be measured; signal generating means for generating a plurality of reference frequency signals, respectively, corresponding to a plurality of predetermined tone names independently for each tone; a plurality of display means, respectively, corresponding to said plurality of tone names; a plurality of display control means arranged, respectively, corresponding to said plurality of tone names; and in which each of said display control means is constructed to display an agreement of the frequency of said tone name at a predetermined octave with the frequency of said input tone signal in the display means corresponding to said tone name on the basis of the reference frequency signal of the corresponding tone name from said signal generating means and the input tone signal from said input means; said signal generating means includes twelve tone generators generating twelve reference frequency signals, respectively, corresponding to twelve tone names; each of said plurality of display means of each tone name includes eight luminous elements; each of said plurality of display control means includes four hexadecimal counters of a first, second, third and fourth and four decoders of a first, second, third and fourth, respectively, connected to each output side of said four hexidecimal counters; each anode of said eight luminous elements is connected to each output side of said four decoders; said first hexadecimal counter for each tone name is connected to corresponding each of said twelve tone generators; said second hexadecimal counter is connected to said first hexadecimal counter so that a frequency divided output, having a frequency of 1/4 of the reference frequency signal inputted to said first hexadecimal counter is inputted; said third hexadecimal counter is connected to said second hexadecimal counter so that a frequency divided output, having a frequency of 1/16 of said reference frequency signal, is inputted; said fourth hexadecimal counter is connected to said third hexadecimal counter so that a frequency divided output, having a frequency of 1/64 of said reference frequency signal, is inputted; and each cathode of said eight luminous elements is connected to said input means so that the tone signal to be measured may be inputted to said each cathode, each of said luminous elements is turned on only when a high level signal is inputted to its anode side and a low level signal is inputted to its cathode side.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 399 words
An electronic tuning apparatus comprising: input means for inputting a tone signal to be measured; signal generating means for generating a plurality of reference frequency signals, respectively, corresponding to a plurality of predetermined tone names independently for each tone; a plurality of display means, respectively, corresponding to said plurality of tone names; a plurality of display control means arranged, respectively, corresponding to said plurality of tone names; and in which each of said display control means is constructed to display an agreement of the frequency of said tone name at a predetermined octave with the frequency of said input tone signal in the display means corresponding to said tone name on the basis of the reference frequency signal of the corresponding tone name from said signal generating means and the input tone signal from said input means; said signal generating means includes twelve tone generators generating twelve reference frequency signals, respectively, corresponding to twelve tone names; each of said plurality of display means of each tone name includes eight luminous elements; each of said plurality of display control means includes four hexadecimal counters of a first, second, third and fourth and four decoders of a first, second, third and fourth, respectively, connected to each output side of said four hexidecimal counters; each anode of said eight luminous elements is connected to each output side of said four decoders; said first hexadecimal counter for each tone name is connected to corresponding each of said twelve tone generators; said second hexadecimal counter is connected to said first hexadecimal counter so that a frequency divided output, having a frequency of 1/4 of the reference frequency signal inputted to said first hexadecimal counter is inputted; said third hexadecimal counter is connected to said second hexadecimal counter so that a frequency divided output, having a frequency of 1/16 of said reference frequency signal, is inputted; said fourth hexadecimal counter is connected to said third hexadecimal counter so that a frequency divided output, having a frequency of 1/64 of said reference frequency signal, is inputted; and each cathode of said eight luminous elements is connected to said input means so that the tone signal to be measured may be inputted to said each cathode, each of said luminous elements is turned on only when a high level signal is inputted to its anode side and a low level signal is inputted to its cathode side.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 29 words
An electronic tuning apparatus according to claim 12, in which each eight luminous elements, respectively, connected to said first, second, third and fourth decoders are arranged in a line.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 31 words
An electronic tuning apparatus according to claim 12, in which each eight luminous elements, respectively, connected to said first, second, third and fourth decoders are arranged parallelly for each said decoder.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4018124A Cited

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Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1992-01-10 1992-07-11 1993-01-10 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
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