Channel assigning system for use in an electronic musical instrument

Claim 2

A channel assigning system for use in an electronic musical instrument, comprising: directing means for directing a plurality of musical tones, each belonging to a musical tone part, to be sounded; a plurality of musical-tone generating channels in a number less than a number of said directing means and equal to a maximum number of actually sounded musical tones to be sounded simultaneously; initial channel assignment means for assigning a predetermined number of said plurality of musical-tone generating channels to each musical tone part wherein said plurality of musical tones having a particular musical tone part are assigned to the predetermined number of said plurality of musical-tone channels assigned to the particular tone part, prior to said plurality of musical tones having a different tone part; discerning means for discerning whether at least one idle channel exists among the predetermined number of said plurality of musical-tone generating channels for each musical tone part; channel assigning means for assigning each of the plurality of musical tones directed by said directing means to one of said plurality of musical-tone generating channels, said channel assigning means including, first assignment control means for assigning a first of said plurality of musical tones directed by said directing means to an idle channel of said predetermined number of said plurality of musical-tone generating channels corresponding to a musical tone part of said first musical tone when said discerning means indicates that at least one idle channel of said predetermined number of said plurality of musical-tone generating channels corresponding to the musical tone part of said first musical tone exists, and second assignment control means for diverting the first musical tone directed by said directing means to an idle channel of said predetermined number of said plurality of musical-tone generating channels corresponding to another musical tone part, when said discerning means indicates that at least one idle channel of said predetermined number of said plurality of musical-tone generating channels corresponding to the musical tone part of said first musical tone does not exist and when said discerning means indicates that at least one idle channel of said predetermined number of said plurality of musical-tone generating channels corresponding to another musical tone part does exist; whereby said channel-assigning means diverts said predetermined number of said plurality of musical-tone generating channels corresponding to the other musical tone parts to the musical tone part of said first musical tone and from said predetermined number of said plurality of musical-tone generating channels corresponding to the musical tone part of said first musical tone to the other musical tone parts.

Claim 3

The channel assigning system of claim 1, wherein each musical tone part represents timbres of said plurality of musical tones.

Claim 4

The channel assigning system of claim 1, wherein the musical-tone parts represent ranges of musical tones.

Claim 5

The channel assigning system of claim 1, wherein each musical tone part represents velocities of said plurality of musical tones.

Claim 6

The channel assigning system of claim 1, wherein each musical tone part represents performance parts of said plurality of musical tones.

Claim 7

The channel assigning system of claim 1, wherein the idle channel includes at least one musical-tone generating channel not currently assigned a musical tone.

Claim 8

The channel assigning system of in claim 1, wherein the idle channel of said predetermined number of said plurality of musical-tone generating channels corresponding to another musical tone part is selected from said musical-tone generating channels assigned to any other musical tone part.

Claim 9

The channel assigning system of claim 1, wherein the idle channel of said predetermined number of said plurality of musical-tone generating channels corresponding to another musical tone part is selected from said musical-tone generating channels assigned to specific other musical-tone parts.

Claim 10

The channel assigning system of claim 1, wherein the musical-tone generating channel assigned by said second assignment control means is a channel assigned a musical tone for which the sounding operation is started earlier than the sounding operations of musical tones of any other channel.

Claim 11

The channel assigning system of claim 1, wherein the musical-tone generating channel assigned by said channel assigning means is a channel assigned a musical tone in which an envelope level is lower than envelope levels of musical tones of any other channels.

Claim 12

The channel assigning system of claim 1, wherein said first assignment control means includes part data storing means for storing part data representing the musical-tone parts of the musical tone which is assigned to one of the musical-tone generating channels by said first assignment control means.

Claim 13

The channel assigning system of claim 1, wherein said second assignment control means, includes priority reserving data storing means for storing priority reserving data representing the idle channel.

Claim 14

A channel assigning system for use in an electronic musical instrument, comprising: directing means for directing a musical tone, belonging to a musical tone part, to be sounded; a plurality of musical-tone generating channels in a number less than a number of said directing means and equal to a maximum number of actually sounded musical tones to be sounded simultaneously; initial channel assignment means for assigning a predetermined number of said plurality of musical-tone generating channels to each musical tone part wherein musical tones having a particular musical tone part are assigned to the predetermined number of said plurality of musical-tone channels assigned to the particular tone part, prior to said musical tones having a different tone part; channel-assigning means for assigning said musical tone to an idle channel of said predetermined number of said plurality of musical-tone generating channels corresponding to a musical tone part of said musical tone when at least one idle channel of said predetermined number of said plurality of musical-tone generating channels corresponding to the musical tone part of said musical tone exists and for diverting said musical tone to an idle channel of said predetermined number of said plurality of musical-tone generating channels corresponding to another musical tone part, when at least one idle channel of said predetermined number of said plurality of musical-tone generating channels corresponding to the musical tone part of said musical tone does not exist and when at least one idle channel of said predetermined number of said plurality of musical-tone generating channels corresponding to another musical tone part does exist; part data storing means for storing part data representing the musical-tone part of said musical tone; priority reserving data storing means for storing priority reserving data representing a diverted channel, based on the part data of said part data storing means, wherein said diverted channel is at least one of said plurality of musical-tone generating channels to which are assigned to the musical tones of any of the plurality of musical-tone parts, and are other than said predetermined number of channels; and assignment control means for assigning a new musical tone to the diverted channel, based on the priority data of said priority reserving data storing means; whereby said channel-assigning means diverts the at least one idle channel of said predetermined number of said plurality of musical-tone generating channels corresponding to the other musical tone parts to the musical tone part of said musical tone and the at least one idle channel of said predetermined number of said plurality of musical-tone generating channels corresponding to the musical tone part of said musical tone to the other musical tone parts.

Claim 15

A channel assigning system for use in an electronic musical instrument, comprising: directing means for directing a musical tone, belonging to a musical tone part, to be sounded; a plurality of musical-tone generating channels in a number less than a number of said directing means and equal to a maximum number of actually sounded musical tones to be sounded simultaneously; initial channel assignment means for assigning a predetermined number of said plurality of musical-tone generating channels to each musical tone part wherein musical tones having a particular musical tone part are assigned to the predetermined number of said plurality of musical-tone channels assigned to the particular tone part, prior to said musical tones having a different tone part; channel-assigning means for assigning said musical tone to an idle channel of said predetermined number of said plurality of musical-tone generating channels corresponding to a musical tone part of said musical tone when at least one idle channel of said predetermined number of said plurality of musical-tone generating channels corresponding to the musical tone part of said musical tone exists and for diverting said musical tone to an idle channel of said predetermined number of said plurality of musical-tone generating channels corresponding to another musical tone part, when at least one idle channel of said predetermined number of said plurality of musical-tone generating channels corresponding to the musical tone part of said musical tone does not exist and when at least one idle channel of said predetermined number of said plurality of musical-tone generating channels corresponding to another musical tone part does exist; part data storing means for storing part data representing the musical-tone part of said musical tone; priority reserving data storing means for storing priority reserving data representing a diverted channel, based on the part data of said part data storing means, wherein said diverted channel is at least one of said plurality of musical-tone generating channels to which are assigned to the musical tones of any of the plurality of musical-tone parts, and are other than said predetermined number of channels; and assignment control means for assigning a new musical tone to the diverted channel, based on the priority data of said priority reserving data storing means; whereby said channel-assigning means diverts the at least one idle channel of said predetermined number of said plurality of musical-tone generating channels corresponding to the other musical tone parts to the musical tone part of said musical tone and the at least one idle channel of said predetermined number of said plurality of musical-tone generating channels corresponding to the musical tone part of said musical tone to the other musical tone parts.

Claim 16

The channel assigning system of claim 13, wherein the musical-tone part represents one of timbres, ranges, velocities and performance parts of musical tones.

Claim 17

The channel system of claim 13, wherein the idle channel assigned by said channel assigning means is a diverted channel assigned a musical tone for which a sounding operation is begun before a sounding operation of musical tones of any other channels.

Claim 18

The channel assigning system of claim 13, wherein the idle channel assigned by said channel assigning means is a diverted channel assigned a musical tone in which an envelope level is lower than envelope levels of musical tones of any other channels.

Claim 21

The method of claim 17, wherein each musical-tone part represents one of timbres, ranges, velocities, and performance parts of musical tones.

Claim 22

The method of claim 17, wherein said step (d)(2) assigns the musical tone to an idle channel assigned a musical tone for which a sounding operation is begun before sounding operations of musical tones of any other channels.

Claim 23

The method of claim 17, wherein step (d) (2) assigns the musical tone to an idle channel assigned a musical tone with an envelope level lower than envelope levels of musical tones of any other channels.

Claim 24

The method of claim 17, wherein said step (d), further includes storing part data representing each musical-tone part.

Claim 25

The method of claim 17, wherein step (d)(2) further includes storing priority reserving data representing the idle channel.