Patent CA514285A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US4922796A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4922796A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Musical-tone-generating-control apparatus
Assignee: Yamaha Corp
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Filing: 1989-03-01
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Granted: 1990-05-08
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Expires: 2009-03-01
Abstract
Abstract A musical-tone-generating-control apparatus including a number of musical-tone-signal-generating channels, each of which generates musical-tone signals having tone pitches designated by tone-pitch information and having tone colors determined by tone-color information. These tone-pitch information and tone-color information are supplied to a musical-tone-signal-generating channel selected by predetermined rules. One of the rules is that a newly entered key-code is assigned to a musical-tone-signal-generating channel which has been generating a musical-tone signal whose tone color is the same as that of the newly entered key-code. Thus tone-color-control parameters need not be transferred to the channel, and this saves time necessary for the transfer, resulting in a speeding up of processing. Other similar rules are also used resulting in similar advantages.
Inventors
- 👤 Masao Kondo
- 👤 Takashi Ishida
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 22:10
CPC Classifications
G; G10; G10H; G10H1/00; G10H1/46; G10H1/18; G10H1/183; G10H1/185; G10H1/186; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S84/00; Y10S84/02
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
197 words
A musical-tone-generating-control apparatus comprising: musical-tone-signal-generating means having a plurality of musical-tone-signal-generating channels for generating musical-tone signals, controlling the generation of musical-tone signals according to tone-pitch information supplied to each of said musical-tone-signal-generating channels, and controlling tone colors of said musical-tone signals according to tone-color-control parameters; tone-color-parameter-memory means for storing said tone-color-control parameters; input means for entering primary information representing tone pitches of said musical-tone signals, and for entering secondary information representing tone colors of said musical-tone signals; assigning means for selecting one of said musical-tone-signal-generating channels according to a predetermined rule, and for assigning said primary information to said selected musical-tone-signal-generating channel; output means for supplying said assigned primary information to said musical-tone-signal-generating means to control generation of said musical-tone signal produced from said selected musical-tone-signal-generating channel according to said primary information, and for supplying said tone-color-control parameters corresponding to said secondary information in said tone-color-parameter-memory means to control tone colors of said musical-tone signals; and output inhibiting means for inhibiting output of said tone-color-control parameters to said musical-tone-signal-generating means when a tone color represented by said secondary information is the same as the tone color of said musical-tone signal previously generated in said selected musical-tone-signal-generating channel.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
197 words
A musical-tone-generating-control apparatus comprising: musical-tone-signal-generating means having a plurality of musical-tone-signal-generating channels for generating musical-tone signals, controlling the generation of musical-tone signals according to tone-pitch information supplied to each of said musical-tone-signal-generating channels, and controlling tone colors of said musical-tone signals according to tone-color-control parameters; tone-color-parameter-memory means for storing said tone-color-control parameters; input means for entering primary information representing tone pitches of said musical-tone signals, and for entering secondary information representing tone colors of said musical-tone signals; assigning means for selecting one of said musical-tone-signal-generating channels according to a predetermined rule, and for assigning said primary information to said selected musical-tone-signal-generating channel; output means for supplying said assigned primary information to said musical-tone-signal-generating means to control generation of said musical-tone signal produced from said selected musical-tone-signal-generating channel according to said primary information, and for supplying said tone-color-control parameters corresponding to said secondary information in said tone-color-parameter-memory means to control tone colors of said musical-tone signals; and output inhibiting means for inhibiting output of said tone-color-control parameters to said musical-tone-signal-generating means when a tone color represented by said secondary information is the same as the tone color of said musical-tone signal previously generated in said selected musical-tone-signal-generating channel.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
98 words
A musical-tone-generating-control apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising: tone-color-information-storing means having a plurality of memory areas each of which corresponds to each of said musical-tone-signal-generating channels, updating tone-color information representing a tone color of said musical-tone signal generated in each of said musical-tone-signal-generating channels according to the assignment of said primary information, and storing updated tone-color information to each said memory area; and priority-assigning-control means for controlling said assigning means so that said primary information is assigned to a musical-tone-signal-generating channel previously generating musical-tone signal of the same tone color as that of said secondary information.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
80 words
A musical-tone-generating-control apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said priority-assigning-control means measures elapsed time from key depression or from key release to present dumping data decreasing with said elapsed time, and firstly searches musical-tone-signal-generating channels whose dumping data are 0, and which had generated musical-tone signal of the same tone color as that of the musical-tone signal generated from now on, and said priority-assigning-control means assigns said primary information to one of said musical-tone-signal-generating channels which was searched first.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
76 words
A musical-tone-generating-control apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said priority-assigning-control means secondly searches a musical-tone-signal-generating channel which is generating a musical-tone signal of the same tone color as that of the musical-tone signal to be generated from then on, and whose dumping data is less than a predetermined value and is the minimum among the dumping data of said searched channels, and said priority-assigning-control means assigns said primary information to said musical-tone-signal-generating channel searched second.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
52 words
A musical-tone-generating-control apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said priority-assigning-control means thirdly searches a musical-tone-signal-generating channel which is associated with a released key and whose dumping data is minimum, independent of tone colors of said musical-tone signals, and said priority-assigning-control means assigns said primary information to said musical-tone-signal-generating channel searched third.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
57 words
A musical-tone-generating-control apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said priority-assigning-control means fourthly searches a musical-tone-signal-generating channel which is associated with a depressed key and whose dumping data is minimum, independent of tone colors and state of keys associated with said musical-tone-signal-generating channels, and said priority-assigning-control means assigns said primary information to said musical-tone-signal-generating channel searched fourth.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
A musical-tone-generating-control apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the number of musical-tone-signal-generating channels that can generate musical-tone signals of the same tone color is restricted by a predetermined maximum-tone-generating-channel number.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
15 words
A musical-tone-generating-control apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said input means includes a keyboard.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
42 words
A musical-tone-generating-control apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said priority-assigning-control means searches a new musical-tone-signal-generating channel according to another search rule when the number of musical-tone-signal-generating channel producing musical-tone signal of the same tone color is less than a predetermined value.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
14 words
A musical-tone-generating-control apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein said predetermined value is 2.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
A musical-tone-generating-control apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said dumping data is measured by counting dow timer interrupt signals from a predetermined initial value.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
32 words
A musical-tone-generating-control apparatus as defined in claim 11 wherein said dumping data is set to "FF H " when a key is depressed and "7F H " when a key is released.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
18 words
A musical-tone-generating-control apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said predetermined value is set for each tone color.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
A musical-tone-generating-control apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said predetermined value is common to all the tone colors.
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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) | 1993-05-07 | 1993-11-06 | 1994-05-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-05-07 | 1997-11-06 | 1998-05-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-05-07 | 2001-11-06 | 2002-05-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |