Electronic musical instrument having automatic channel-assigning function

Claim 2

An electronic musical instrument, comprising: automatic-performance means for designating an automatic-performance sound when carrying out an automatic performance on the basis of pre-stored automatic-performance information; manual-performance means for designating a manual-performance sound in accordance with a performance manually made by a performer; a plurality of channels from which said automatic-performance sound and/or said manual-performance sound are generated; searching means for searching an unoccupied channel within said plurality of channels which is not occupied with a tone generation; assignment means for assigning a new musical tone to said unoccupied channel which is searched by said searching means, so that the new musical tone is generated from said unoccupied channel; first assignment means, which is activated when a new manual-performance sound is designated under a full-channel condition where all of said plurality of channels are occupied with the tone generation, for detecting a channel having an envelope value which is the smallest among said plurality of channels, so that the new manual-performance sound is assigned to the detected channel; and second assignment means, which is activated when a new automatic-performance sound is designated under the full-channel condition, for detecting a channel which receives a key-off command and having an envelope value which is the smallest among the channels occupied with the tone generation of the automatic-performance sounds, so that the new automatic-performance sound is assigned to the detected channel.

Claim 3

An electronic musical instrument, comprising: automatic performance means for designating an automatic-performance sound when carrying out an automatic performance on the basis of pre-stored automatic-performance information; manual-performance means for designating a manual-performance sound in accordance with a performance manually made by a performer; a plurality of channels from which said automatic-performance sound and/or said manual-performance sound are generated; searching means for searching an unoccupied channel within said plurality of channels which is not occupied with a tone generation; assignment means for assigning a new musical tone to said unoccupied channel which is searched by said searching means, so that the new musical tone is generated from said unoccupied channel; first assignment means, which is activated when a new manual-performance sound is designated under a full-channel condition where all of said plurality of channels are occupied with the tone generation, for detecting a channel having an envelope value which is the smallest among said plurality of channels, so that the new manual-performance sound is assigned to the detected channel; and second assignment means, which is activated when a new automatic-performance sound is designated under the full-channel condition, for detecting a channel which receives a key-off command but sustains to generate the manual-performance sound among the channels occupied with the tone generation of the manual-performance sounds, so that the new channel-performance sound is assigned to the detected channel.

Claim 4

An electronic musical instrument, comprising: automatic performance means for designating an automatic-performance sound when carrying out an automatic performance on the basis of pre-stored automatic-performance information; manual-performance means for designating a manual-performance sound in accordance with a performance manually made by a performer; a plurality of channels from which said automatic-performance sound and/or said manual-performance sound are generated; searching means for searching an unoccupied channel within said plurality of channels which is not occupied with a tone generation; assignment means for assigning a new musical tone to said unoccupied channel which is searched by said searching means, so that the new musical tone is generated from said unoccupied channel; first assignment means, which is activated when a new manual-performance sound is designated under a full-channel condition where all of said plurality of channels are occupied with the tone generation, for detecting a channel having an envelope value which is the smallest among said plurality of channels, so that the new manual-performance sound is assigned to the detected channel; and second assignment means, which is activated when a new automatic-performance sound is designated under the full-channel condition, for detecting a channel which receives a key-off command but sustains to generate the manual-performance sound among the channels occupied with the tone generation of the manual-performance sounds, so that the new channel-performance sound is assigned to the detected channel.

Claim 5

An electronic musical instrument, comprising: automatic-performance means for designating an automatic-performance sound when carrying out an automatic performance on the basis of pre-stored automatic-performance information; manual-performance means for designating a manual-performance sound in accordance with a performance manually made by a performer; a plurality of channels from which said automatic-performance sound and/or said manual-performance sound are generated; searching means for searching an unoccupied channel within said plurality of channels which is not occupied with a tone generation; assignment means for assigning a new musical tone to said unoccupied channel which is searched by said searching means, so that the new musical tone is generated from said unoccupied channel; first assignment means, which is activated when a new manual-performance sound is designated under a full-channel condition where all of said plurality of channels are occupied with the tone generation, for detecting a channel having an envelope value which is the smallest among said plurality of channels, so that the new manual-performance sound is assigned to the detected channel; second assignment means, which is activated when a new automatic-performance sound is designated under the full-channel condition, for detecting a channel which receives a key-off command and having an envelope value which is the smallest among the channels occupied with the tone generation of the automatic-performance sounds, so that the new automatic-performance sound is assigned to the detected channel; third assignment means, which is activated when said second assignment means fails to detect said channel, for detecting a channel which receives the key-off command but sustains to generate the manual-performance sound among the channels occupied with the tone generation of the manual-performance sounds, so that the new automatic-performance sound is assigned to the detected channel; and assignment control means, which is activated when said third assignment means fails to detect said channel, for neglecting a tone-generation request for the new automatic-performance sound, so that the new automatic-performance sound is not actually generated.

Claim 6

An electronic musical instrument, comprising: automatic-performance means for designating an automatic-performance sound when carrying out an automatic performance on the basis of pre-stored automatic-performance information; manual-performance means for designating a manual-performance sound in accordance with a performance manually made by a performer; a plurality of channels from which said automatic-performance sound and/or said manual-performance sound are generated; searching means for searching an unoccupied channel within said plurality of channels which is not occupied with a tone generation; assignment means for assigning a new musical tone to said unoccupied channel which is searched by said searching means, so that the new musical tone is generated from said unoccupied channel; first assignment means, which is activated when a new manual-performance sound is designated under a full-channel condition where all of said plurality of channels are occupied with the tone generation, for detecting a channel having an envelope value which is the smallest among said plurality of channels, so that the new manual-performance sound is assigned to the detected channel; second assignment means, which is activated when a new automatic-performance sound is designated under the full-channel condition, for detecting a channel which receives a key-off command and having an envelope value which is the smallest among the channels occupied with the tone generation of the automatic-performance sounds, so that the new automatic-performance sound is assigned to the detected channel; third assignment means, which is activated when said second assignment means fails to detect said channel, for detecting a channel which receives the key-off command but sustains to generate the manual-performance sound among the channels occupied with the tone generation of the manual-performance sounds, so that the new automatic-performance sound is assigned to the detected channel; and assignment control means, which is activated when said third assignment means fails to detect said channel, for neglecting a tone-generation request for the new automatic-performance sound, so that the new automatic-performance sound is not actually generated.

Claim 7

An electronic musical instrument, comprising: automatic-performance means for designating an automatic-performance sound when carrying out an automatic performance on the basis of pre-stored automatic-performance information; manual-performance means for designating a manual-performance sound in accordance with a performance manually made by a performer; a plurality of channels from which said automatic-performance sound and/or said manual-performance sound are generated; searching means for searching an unoccupied channel within said plurality of channels which is not occupied with a tone generation; detecting means for detecting whether or not said searching means fails to search out said unoccupied channel, so that said detecting means declares a full-channel condition when all of said plurality of channels are occupied with the tone generation; assignment means, which is activated when said detecting means does not declare the full-channel condition, for assigning a new musical tone to said unoccupied channel which is searched by said searching means, so that the new musical tone is generated from said unoccupied channel; manual-performance assignment means, which is activated when a new manual-performance sound is designated under the full-channel condition, for detecting a channel having an envelope value which is the smallest among said plurality of channels, so that the new manual-performance sound is assigned to the detected channel; first automatic-performance assignment means, which is activated when a new automatic-performance sound is designated under the full-channel condition, for detecting one of the channels occupied with the tone generation of the automatic-performance sounds which receives a key-off command and having an envelope value which is the smallest, so that the new automatic-performance sound is assigned to the detected channel; and second automatic-performance assignment means, which is activated when said first automatic-performance assignment means fails to detect said channel, for detecting one of the channels occupied with the tone generation of the manual-performance sounds which receives the key-off command sustains to generate the manual-performance sound, so that the new automatic-performance sound is assigned to the detected channel.

Claim 8

An electronic musical instrument, comprising: automatic-performance means for designating an automatic-performance sound when carrying out an automatic performance on the basis of pre-stored automatic-performance information; manual-performance means for designating a manual-performance sound in accordance with a performance manually made by a performer; a plurality of channels from which said automatic-performance sound and/or said manual-performance sound are generated; searching means for searching an unoccupied channel within said plurality of channels which is not occupied with a tone generation; detecting means for detecting whether or not said searching means fails to search out said unoccupied channel, so that said detecting means declares a full-channel condition when all of said plurality of channels are occupied with the tone generation; assignment means, which is activated when said detecting means does not declare the full-channel condition, for assigning a new musical tone to said unoccupied channel which is searched by said searching means, so that the new musical tone is generated from said unoccupied channel; manual-performance assignment means, which is activated when a new manual-performance sound is designated under the full-channel condition, for detecting a channel having an envelope value which is the smallest among said plurality of channels, so that the new manual-performance sound is assigned to the detected channel; first automatic-performance assignment means, which is activated when a new automatic-performance sound is designated under the full-channel condition, for detecting one of the channels occupied with the tone generation of the automatic-performance sounds which receives a key-off command and having an envelope value which is the smallest, so that the new automatic-performance sound is assigned to the detected channel; and second automatic-performance assignment means, which is activated when said first automatic-performance assignment means fails to detect said channel, for detecting one of the channels occupied with the tone generation of the manual-performance sounds which receives the key-off command sustains to generate the manual-performance sound, so that the new automatic-performance sound is assigned to the detected channel.

Claim 9

An electronic musical instrument as defined in any one of the claims 1 to 4, wherein said manual-performance means is comprised of a keyboard which is manually played by the performer.

Claim 10

An electronic musical instrument as defined in any one of the claims 1 to 4, wherein said automatic-performance means includes a memory which memorizes said automatic-performance information in advance.

Claim 11

A channel-assignment method employed in an electronic musical instrument in which a manual-performance sound or an automatic-performance sound is assigned to one of a plurality of channels, said channel-assignment method comprising the steps of: searching an unoccupied channel which is not occupied with a tone generation within said plurality of channels; assigning a new musical tone to said unoccupied channel; detecting a full-channel condition where all of said plurality of channels are occupied with the tone generation; performing a manual-performance assignment when a new manual-performance sound is designated under the full-channel condition, thereby assigning the new manual performance sound to one of said plurality of channels which satisfies a first channel-selection condition, said first channel-selection condition selecting a channel having an envelope value which is the smallest among said plurality of channels; and performing an automatic-performance assignment when a new automatic-performance sound is designated under the full-channel condition, thereby assigning the new automatic-performance sound to one of said plurality of channels which satisfies a second channel-selection condition, said second channel-selection condition selecting a channel which receives a key-off command and having an envelope value which is the smallest among the channels occupied with the tone generation of the automatic-performance sounds.

Claim 12

A channel-assignment method employed in an electronic musical instrument in which a manual-performance sound or an automatic-performance sound is assigned to one of a plurality of channels, said channel-assignment method comprising the steps of: searching an unoccupied channel which is not occupied with a tone generation within said plurality of channels; assigning a new musical tone to said unoccupied channel; detecting a full-channel condition where all of said plurality of channels are occupied with the tone generation; performing a manual-performance assignment when a new manual-performance sound is designated under the full-channel condition, thereby assigning the new manual performance sound to one of said plurality of channels which satisfies a first channel-selection condition, said first channel-selection condition selecting a channel having an envelope value which is the smallest among said plurality of channels; and performing an automatic-performance assignment when a new automatic-performance sound is designated under the full-channel condition, thereby assigning the new automatic-performance sound to one of said plurality of channels which satisfies a second channel-selection condition, said second channel-selection condition selecting a channel which receives a key-off command and having an envelope value which is the smallest among the channels occupied with the tone generation of the automatic-performance sounds.

Claim 13

An electronic musical instrument, comprising: automatic-performance means for designating an automatic-performance sound when carrying out an automatic performance on the basis of pre-stored automatic-performance information; manual-performance means for designating a manual-performance sound in accordance with a performance manually made by a performer; a plurality of channels from which said automatic-performance sound and/or said manual-performance sound are generated; searching means for searching an unoccupied channel within said plurality of channels which is not occupied with a tone generation; first assignment means for assigning a new musical tone to said unoccupied channel which is searched by said searching means, so that the new musical tone is generated from said unoccupied channel; and second assignment means, which is activated when a tone-generation request for the new musical tone is given under a full-channel condition where all of said plurality of channels are occupied with the tone generation, for selecting one of said channels in accordance with a predetermined priority order so as to perform a truncate process on the selected channel so that its generating sound is muted, thus assigning a tone generation of the new musical tone to the selected channel.

Claim 14

An electronic musical instrument, comprising: automatic-performance means for designating an automatic-performance sound when carrying out an automatic performance on the basis of pre-stored automatic-performance information; manual-performance means for designating a manual-performance sound in accordance with a performance manually made by a performer; a plurality of channels from which said automatic-performance sound and/or said manual-performance sound are generated; searching means for searching an unoccupied channel within said plurality of channels which is not occupied with a tone generation; first assignment means for assigning a new musical tone to said unoccupied channel which is searched by said searching means, so that the new musical tone is generated from said unoccupied channel; and second assignment means, which is activated when a tone-generation request for the new musical tone is given under a full-channel condition where all of said plurality of channels are occupied with the tone generation, for selecting one of said channels in accordance with a predetermined priority order so as to perform a truncate process on the selected channel so that its generating sound is muted, thus assigning a tone generation of the new musical tone to the selected channel.