Patent US5070758A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5070758A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Electronic musical instrument with automatic music performance system
Assignee: Yamaha Corp
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Filing: 1989-05-15
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Granted: 1991-12-10
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Expires: 2009-05-15
Abstract
Abstract An electronic musical instrument includes a first tone generator for generating a musical tone in response to each depression of key on an accompaniment keyboard and a second tone generator for generating a musical tone in accordance with the musical performance data read from the memory. In a specific mode, the player can cause the first tone generator to generate a musical tone through the accompaniment keyboard with the accompaniment being automatically played. In a mode for recording an accompaniment of a music into the memory in a step manner, a chord is detected from keys depressed on the accompaniment keyboard, and data representative of the detected chord is written into the memory together with data representative of a note-length designated by note-length selection switches. In a mode for recording an accompaniment in real time, each time keys are depressed, the chord data of the depressed keys is written into the memory together with the contents of a tempo clock counter. States of various control elements of a control panel for controlling the generation of the musical tone can also be stored into the memory. The control elements are automatically set to the stored states when the accompaniment is automatically played. If desired, only the control elements can be automatically set to the stored states so that the player can play an accompaniment without operating the control elements.
Inventors
- 👤 Naota Katada
- 👤 Kosei Terada
- 👤 Tadashi Yamada
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 12:50
CPC Classifications
G; G10; G10H; G10H1/00; G10H1/36; G10H1/38; G10H1/0033; G10H1/18; G10H1/183; G10H1/185; G10H1/186; G10H2210/00; G10H2210/571; G10H2210/591; G10H2210/601; G10H2210/616; G10H2210/626
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
164 words
An electronic musical instrument having an automatic music playing system having at least a first mode of operation, comprising: a keyboard having a plurality of keys; musical performance data generating means for generating musical performance data representative of music to be automatically played; first tone generating means, responsive to each key depressed on said keyboard in said first mode of operation for generating a first musical tone corresponding to the depressed key or keys; second tone generating means, responsive to said musical performance data in said first mode of operation for generating a second musical tone determined by said musical performance data independently of said depressed key or keys; and tone color assignment means for assigning first and second tone colors respectively to said first tone generating means and said second tone generating means to cause said first and second generating means to generate said first and second musical tones in said first and second tone colors, respectively, in said first mode of operation.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
164 words
An electronic musical instrument having an automatic music playing system having at least a first mode of operation, comprising: a keyboard having a plurality of keys; musical performance data generating means for generating musical performance data representative of music to be automatically played; first tone generating means, responsive to each key depressed on said keyboard in said first mode of operation for generating a first musical tone corresponding to the depressed key or keys; second tone generating means, responsive to said musical performance data in said first mode of operation for generating a second musical tone determined by said musical performance data independently of said depressed key or keys; and tone color assignment means for assigning first and second tone colors respectively to said first tone generating means and said second tone generating means to cause said first and second generating means to generate said first and second musical tones in said first and second tone colors, respectively, in said first mode of operation.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
61 words
An electronic musical instrument according to claim 1, further comprising a melody keyboard and wherein said musical performance data generating means includes means for storing an automatic accompaniment for a musical piece performed on said melody keyboard as said musical performance data, and wherein said keyboard is a manual accompaniment keyboard for performing a manual accompaniment independently of said automatic accompaniment.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
229 words
An electronic musical instrument having an automatic music playing system having at least a first mode of operation, comprising: a keyboard having a plurality of keys; musical performance data generating means for generating musical performance data representative to music to be automatically played, said musical performance data generating means comprising: memory means for storing said musical performance data; tempo clock signal generating means for generating a tempo clock signal representative of a tempo at which said music is to be automatically performed, said tempo clock signal being independent of depression of said keys; and reading means responsive to said tempo clock signal for reading said musical performance data from said memory means at said tempo; first tone generating means, responsive to each key depressed on said keyboard in said first mode of operation for generating a first musical tone corresponding to the depressed key or keys; second tone generating means, responsive to said musical performance data in said first mode of operation for generating a second musical tone determined by said musical performance data; and tone color assignment means for assigning first and second tone colors respectively to said first tone generating means and said second tone generating means to cause said first and second generating means to generate said first and second musical tones in said first and second tone colors, respectively, in said first mode of operation.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
229 words
An electronic musical instrument having an automatic music playing system having at least a first mode of operation, comprising: a keyboard having a plurality of keys; musical performance data generating means for generating musical performance data representative to music to be automatically played, said musical performance data generating means comprising: memory means for storing said musical performance data; tempo clock signal generating means for generating a tempo clock signal representative of a tempo at which said music is to be automatically performed, said tempo clock signal being independent of depression of said keys; and reading means responsive to said tempo clock signal for reading said musical performance data from said memory means at said tempo; first tone generating means, responsive to each key depressed on said keyboard in said first mode of operation for generating a first musical tone corresponding to the depressed key or keys; second tone generating means, responsive to said musical performance data in said first mode of operation for generating a second musical tone determined by said musical performance data; and tone color assignment means for assigning first and second tone colors respectively to said first tone generating means and said second tone generating means to cause said first and second generating means to generate said first and second musical tones in said first and second tone colors, respectively, in said first mode of operation.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
44 words
An electronic musical instrument according to claim 3 further comprising musical performance data storing means cooperative with said keyboard for storing, into said memory means, data representative of each key depressed on said keyboard to form said musical performance data in said memory means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
55 words
An electronic musical instrument according to claim 3 further comprising note-length data generating means for generating note-length data representative of a note length, and wherein said musical performance data storing means is responsive to said note-length data for storing, into said memory means, said data representative of each depressed key together with said note-length data.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
An electronic musical instrument according to claim 5, wherein said note-length data generating means comprises counter means for counting the tempo clock signals to output a count value of the tempo clock signals as said note-length data.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
38 words
An electronic musical instrument according to claim 5, wherein said note-length data generating means comprises note-length selection switch means for selecting one of a plurality of predetermined note lengths to output note-length selection data as said note-length data.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
204 words
An electronic musical instrument having an automatic music playing system comprising: a keyboard having a plurality of keys; note-length data generating means for generating note-length data representative of a note length; chord detection means responsive to each depression of a key or keys on said keyboard for detecting a chord represented by said each depression of a key or keys and for outputting chord data representative of the detected chord; memory means for storing musical performance data representative of a musical performance to be automatically played; musical performance data storing means responsive to said each depression of a key or keys on said keyboard for storing, into said memory means, said chord data together with said note-length data for form said musical performance data in said memory means; tempo clock signal generating means for generating a tempo clock signal representative of a tempo at which said music is to be automatically played; and musical performance data reading means responsive to said tempo clock signal for reading said musical performance data from said memory means at said tempo, so that a musical tone having at one pitch determined by said chord data and having a time length determined by said note-length data can be produced.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
204 words
An electronic musical instrument having an automatic music playing system comprising: a keyboard having a plurality of keys; note-length data generating means for generating note-length data representative of a note length; chord detection means responsive to each depression of a key or keys on said keyboard for detecting a chord represented by said each depression of a key or keys and for outputting chord data representative of the detected chord; memory means for storing musical performance data representative of a musical performance to be automatically played; musical performance data storing means responsive to said each depression of a key or keys on said keyboard for storing, into said memory means, said chord data together with said note-length data for form said musical performance data in said memory means; tempo clock signal generating means for generating a tempo clock signal representative of a tempo at which said music is to be automatically played; and musical performance data reading means responsive to said tempo clock signal for reading said musical performance data from said memory means at said tempo, so that a musical tone having at one pitch determined by said chord data and having a time length determined by said note-length data can be produced.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
37 words
An electronic musical instrument according to claim 8, wherein said note-length data generating means comprises counter means for counting the tempo clock signals to output a count value of the tempo clock signals as said note-length data.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
42 words
An electronic musical instrument according to claim 8, wherein said note-length data generating means comprises notelength selection switch means for selecting one a plurality of predetermined note lengths to output note-length selection data representative of the selected note-length as said notelength data.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
38 words
An electronic musical instrument according to any one of claims 8-10, further comprising a melody keyboard and wherein said keyboard is a manual accompaniment keyboard for performing an accompaniment of a musical piece performed on said melody keyboard.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
203 words
An electronic musical instrument having an automatic music playing system comprising: a keyboard having a plurality of keys each for determining a pitch of a tone to be generated; tone control means having a plurality of control elements for outputting tone control signals for determining conditions of generation of said tone; memory means for storing first musical performance data corresponding to a music to be automatically played and relating to depressions of keys on said keyboard, and second musical performance data corresponding to said music and relating to states of said control elements; tempo clock signal generating means for generating a tempo clock signal representative of a tempo at which said music is to be automatically played; musical performance data reading means responsive to said tempo clock signal for selectively reading at least one of said first musical performance data and said second musical performance data from said memory means at said tempo, so that said music to be automatically played is performed when said first musical performance data is read from said memory means and that said control elements are brought into states determined by said second musical performance data when said second musical performance data is read from said memory means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
203 words
An electronic musical instrument having an automatic music playing system comprising: a keyboard having a plurality of keys each for determining a pitch of a tone to be generated; tone control means having a plurality of control elements for outputting tone control signals for determining conditions of generation of said tone; memory means for storing first musical performance data corresponding to a music to be automatically played and relating to depressions of keys on said keyboard, and second musical performance data corresponding to said music and relating to states of said control elements; tempo clock signal generating means for generating a tempo clock signal representative of a tempo at which said music is to be automatically played; musical performance data reading means responsive to said tempo clock signal for selectively reading at least one of said first musical performance data and said second musical performance data from said memory means at said tempo, so that said music to be automatically played is performed when said first musical performance data is read from said memory means and that said control elements are brought into states determined by said second musical performance data when said second musical performance data is read from said memory means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
45 words
An electronic musical instrument according to claim 12 further comprising musical performance data storing means cooperative with said keyboard for storing, into said memory means, data representative of each key depressed on said keyboard to form said first musical performance data in said memory means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
66 words
An electronic musical instrument according to claim 13 further comprising note-length data generating means for generating note-length data representative of a note length, and wherein said musical performance data storing means is responsive to said note-length data for storing, into said memory means, said data representative of each depressed key together with said note-length data to form said first musical performance data in said memory means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
37 words
An electronic musical instrument according to claim 14, wherein said note-length data generating means comprises counter means for counting the tempo clock signals to output a count value of the tempo clock signals as said note-length data.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
44 words
An electronic musical instrument according to claim 14, wherein said note-length data generating means comprises note-length selection switch means for selecting one of a plurality of predetermined note lengths to output note-length selection data representative of the selected note length as said note-length data.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
40 words
An electronic musical instrument according to claim 13 further comprising second musical performance data storing means for storing data corresponding to said tone control signals into said memory means to form said second musical performance data in said memory means.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
37 words
An electronic musical instrument according to claim 12, wherein said music represented by said first and second musical performance data is an accompaniment of a music, and wherein said keyboard is a keyboard for performing an accompaniment.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
158 words
An electronic musical instrument comprising: a first group of keys for use during a melody performance; melody tone generator means for providing musical tones in response to manual activation of keys in said first groups of keys; and an accompaniment system, comprising: a second group of keys for use during an accompaniment performance; first accompaniment tone generator means for generating musical tones in response to manual activation of any of the keys in said second group of keys, wherein one musical tone is generated in response to the activation of each key; musical performance memory means for storing automatic performance data; second accompaniment tone generating means, responsive to activation of any of the keys in said second group of keys, for generating automatic accompaniment musical tones in accordance with said automatic performance data; and tone color means for providing separate tone colors to the musical tones generated by each of said first and second accompaniment tone generator means.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
158 words
An electronic musical instrument comprising: a first group of keys for use during a melody performance; melody tone generator means for providing musical tones in response to manual activation of keys in said first groups of keys; and an accompaniment system, comprising: a second group of keys for use during an accompaniment performance; first accompaniment tone generator means for generating musical tones in response to manual activation of any of the keys in said second group of keys, wherein one musical tone is generated in response to the activation of each key; musical performance memory means for storing automatic performance data; second accompaniment tone generating means, responsive to activation of any of the keys in said second group of keys, for generating automatic accompaniment musical tones in accordance with said automatic performance data; and tone color means for providing separate tone colors to the musical tones generated by each of said first and second accompaniment tone generator means.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
26 words
An electronic musical instrument as set out in claim 19, wherein said first group of keys and said second group of keys are on separate keyboards.
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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) | 1994-12-09 | 1995-06-10 | 1995-12-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1998-12-09 | 1999-06-10 | 1999-12-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2002-12-09 | 2003-06-10 | 2003-12-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |