Musical tone control apparatus and sending device for electronic musical instrument
First Claim
1. A sensing device for an electronic musical instrument comprising:
- a sensor having a sensitivity in response to pressure applied thereto from external;
a fixing body for fixing the sensor to an input device in such a way that the sensor is capable of sensing the pressure;
a sensor fixing member having a plate-like shape of elastic deformability, which is attached to the fixing body and on which the sensor is securely mounted; and
a plate pressure member for imparting the pressure given from the external to the sensor fixing member, wherein each of the plate pressure member and the sensor fixing member has a radial pattern, so that both of the plate pressure member and the sensor fixing member are fixed to each other with center parts thereof, and wherein the sensor fixing member is located to face with the plate pressure member with an air gap in which the sensor fixing member is capable of deforming within a limit of elasticity thereof.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A sensing device is constructed by a sensor case which is attached to a bottom surface of a footwear (e.g., sole of a shoe) and which contains a piezoelectric sensor, a sensor fixing member, a disc plate pressure member and an annular elastic member. The sensor fixing member has elastic deformability so that the sensor fixing member is located to face with the disc plate pressure member with an air gap in which the sensor fixing member is capable of deforming within a limit of elasticity thereof. Thus, it is possible to perform musical tone control in response to an output of the piezoelectric sensor when a foot motion is applied to the footwear. In addition, a musical tone control apparatus of a percussion instrument type is constructed using a pad unit stored in a pad storage portion of an upper case. Herein, the pad unit is constructed by a pad skin unit and a sensing unit. The pad skin unit has a beat surface to be beaten, while the sensing unit contains a piezoelectric sensor, a sensor fixing member and a radial pressure member. Both of the sensor fixing member and the disc plate pressure member (or radial pressure member) are assembled together in such a way that center parts thereof are securely fixed to each other, so the piezoelectric sensor is capable of producing a same output in response to same external force (e.g., foot step force or beat force), regardless of directions to apply such force.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A sensing device for an electronic musical instrument comprising:
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a sensor having a sensitivity in response to pressure applied thereto from external;
a fixing body for fixing the sensor to an input device in such a way that the sensor is capable of sensing the pressure;
a sensor fixing member having a plate-like shape of elastic deformability, which is attached to the fixing body and on which the sensor is securely mounted; and
a plate pressure member for imparting the pressure given from the external to the sensor fixing member, wherein each of the plate pressure member and the sensor fixing member has a radial pattern, so that both of the plate pressure member and the sensor fixing member are fixed to each other with center parts thereof, and wherein the sensor fixing member is located to face with the plate pressure member with an air gap in which the sensor fixing member is capable of deforming within a limit of elasticity thereof.
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2. A musical tone control apparatus for a shoe-type footwear, comprising:
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at least one sensing unit containing a piezoelectric sensor responsive to a vibration input, which is attached to a floor facing portion of the shoe-type footwear with an attaching surface thereof; and
a radial pressure member, wherein the sensing unit is located at a center part of the radial pressure member such that the sensing unit is capable of providing a sensor output to conform with an input level of the vibration input which is applied to the sensing unit in any directions except directions regarding the attaching surface of the sensing unit.
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3. In a musical tone control apparatus equipped with a sensing device, said sensing device comprising:
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a sensor having a sensitivity in response to pressure applied thereto from external;
a fixing body for fixing the sensor to an input device in such a way that the sensor is capable of sensing the pressure;
a sensor fixing member having a plate-like shape of elastic deformability, which is attached to the fixing body and on which the sensor is securely mounted; and
a plate pressure member for imparting the pressure given from the external to the sensor fixing member, wherein each of the plate pressure member and the sensor fixing member has a radial pattern, so that both of the plate pressure member and the sensor fixing member are fixed to each other with center parts thereof, and wherein the sensor fixing member is located to face with the plate pressure member with an air gap in which the sensor fixing member is capable of deforming within a limit of elasticity thereof.
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4. A sensing device for an electronic musical instrument comprising:
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a sensor case which is attached to a bottom surface of a footwear;
a disc plate pressure member contained in the sensor case;
a sensor fixing member contained in the sensor case, which is securely mounted on the disc plate pressure member in such a way that a center part of the sensor fixing member securely engages with a center part of the disc plate pressure member; and
a piezoelectric sensor which is securely mounted on the sensor fixing member so as to have a sensitivity responsive to pressure, which is applied to a bottom surface of the disc plate pressure member from external and which is transmitted thereto via the disc plate pressure member and the sensor fixing member, wherein the sensor fixing member has elastic deformability so that the sensor fixing member is located to face with the disc plate pressure member with an air gap in which the sensor fixing member is capable of deforming within a limit of elasticity thereof, whereby the electronic musical instrument performs musical tone control in response to an output of the piezoelectric sensor which responds to a foot motion applied to the footwear. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A sensing device for an electronic musical instrument comprising:
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a sensor case which is attached to a bottom surface of a footwear;
a cover which is attached to a bottom surface of the sensor case and which is made of material having springiness and rigidity;
a spacer which is contained in the sensor case above a center area of the cover;
a sensor fixing member contained in the sensor case, which is located above the cover while being supported by the spacer;
a piezoelectric sensor which is securely mounted on the sensor fixing member so as to have a sensitivity responsive to pressure, which is applied to a bottom surface of the cover from external and which is transmitted thereto via the spacer and the sensor fixing member; and
an annular elastic member for elastically supporting the sensor fixing member in the sensor case, wherein the sensor fixing member has elastic deformability so that a peripheral end portion of the sensor fixing member is located to face with the cover with an air gap in which the sensor fixing member is capable of deforming within a limit of elasticity thereof, whereby the electronic musical instrument performs musical tone control in response to an output of the piezoelectric sensor which responds to a foot motion applied to the footwear.
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13. A shoe-type musical tone control apparatus, which is put on a footwear, comprising:
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at least one surface layer member which is attached to a toe portion or a heel portion of a sole of the footwear and which has a opening hole; and
at least one sensing unit which is put into the opening hole of the surface layer member, wherein the sensing unit contains a piezoelectric sensor having a sensitivity responding to pressure which is applied thereto from external in any directions except directions regarding an attaching surface of the sensing unit by which the sensing unit is attached to the footwear through the opening hole of the surface layer member, whereby a musical tone control is performed in response to an output of the piezoelectric sensor. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. A musical tone control apparatus of a percussion instrument type comprising:
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an upper cover which is fixed in position;
a pad skin unit having a beat surface which is beaten; and
a sensing unit which is interconnected with the pad skin unit to construct a pad unit which is embedded at a prescribed position of the upper cover, said sensing unit sensing a beat applied to the beat surface of the pad skin unit, wherein the sensing unit is constructed using a sensor fixing member having elasticity, a radial pressure member having a radial shape, and a piezoelectric sensor in such a way that the sensing unit has a sensitivity responding to an input level of a vibration input which is applied from external in any directions, and wherein the piezoelectric sensor is attached to a center part in a radial direction of the radial pressure member so that the piezoelectric sensor is arranged using the sensor fixing member in a floated manner with respect to the upper cover, while the radial pressure member is securely fixed to the pad skin unit with a peripheral portion thereof, whereby the musical tone control apparatus produces a musical tone control signal in reponse to an output of the piezoelectric sensor.
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16. A musical tone control apparatus of a percussion instrument type comprising:
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an upper cover which is fixed in position;
a pad skin unit having a beat surface, which is beaten so that a positional displacement occurs on the beat surface with respect to the upper case;
a sensing unit which is interconnected with the pad skin unit to construct a pad unit which is embedded at a prescribed position of the upper cover, said sensing unit sensing a beat applied to the beat surface of the pad skin unit;
a visual display for visually displaying information regating a beat manner of the pad unit on the basis of variations of a distance between the beat surface and the upper cover; and
a musical tone control for producing a musical tone control signal to control at least one of basic elements of music in reponse to a sensor output of the sensing unit.
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17. A musical tone control apparatus of a percussion instrument type comprising:
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an upper cover which is fixed in position;
a pad skin unit having a beat surface, which is beaten so that a positional displacement occurs on the beat surface with respect to the upper case;
a sensing unit which is interconnected with the pad skin unit to construct a pad unit which is embedded at a prescribed position of the upper cover, said sensing unit sensing a beat applied to the beat surface of the pad skin unit;
a first musical tone control for producing a musical tone control signal to control a first basic element in music in response to an sensor output of the sensing unit which senses a beat applied to the beat surface of the pad skin unit; and
a second musical tone control for obtaining information representing variations of a distance between the beat surface and the upper cover so as to control a second basic element in music in response to the beat on the basis of the information.
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18. A musical tone control apparatus of a percussion instrument type comprising:
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an upper cover which is fixed in position;
a pad skin unit having a beat surface, which is beaten so that a positional displacement occurs on the beat surface with respect to the upper case;
a sensing unit which is interconnected with the pad skin unit to construct a pad unit which is embedded at a prescribed position of the upper cover, said sensing unit sensing a beat applied to the beat surface of the pad skin unit;
a first musical tone control for producing a musical tone control signal to control a first basic element in music in response to an sensor output of the sensing unit which senses a beat applied to the beat surface of the pad skin unit;
a second musical tone control for obtaining information representing variations of a distance between the beat surface and the upper cover so as to control a second basic element in music in response to the beat on the basis of the information; and
a visual display for visually displaying information corresponding to a beat manner of the pad unit on the basis of the variations of the distance.
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19. A musical tone control apparatus of a percussion instrument type comprising:
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an upper cover which is fixed in position;
a pad skin unit having a beat surface which is beaten; and
a sensing unit which is interconnected with the pad skin unit to construct a pad unit which is embedded at a prescribed position of the upper cover, said sensing unit sensing a beat applied to the beat surface of the pad skin unit, wherein the sensing unit is constructed such that a sensor is arranged using a sensor fixing member having elasticity in a floated manner with respect to the upper cover and a radial pressure member is provided to apply pressure to the sensor, while the radial pressure member is fixed using fixing means to the pad skin unit with a peripheral portion thereof, and wherein the fixing means is constructed by an elastic projection, which is formed as an integral part of the pad skin unit, and a hole which is formed on the radial pressure member at a position to match with the elastic projection, so that a lower surface of the elastic projection functions as a stopper when the beat surface of the pad skin unit is beaten strongly, whereby the musical tone control apparatus produces a musical tone control signal in response to a sensor output of the sensing unit.
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20. A musical tone control apparatus of a percussion instrument type comprising:
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an upper cover which is fixed in position;
a pad skin unit having a beat surface which is beaten; and
a sensing unit which is interconnected with the pad skin unit to construct a pad unit which is embedded at a prescribed position of the upper cover, said sensing unit sensing a beat applied to the beat surface of the pad skin unit, wherein the sensing unit is constructed such that a sensor is arranged using a sensor fixing member having elasticity in a floated manner with respect to the upper cover and a radial pressure member is provided to apply pressure to the sensor, while the radial pressure member is fixed using fixing means to the pad skin unit with a peripheral portion thereof, and wherein the fixing means is constructed by an elastic projection, which is formed as an integral part of the pad skin unit, and a hole which is formed on the radial pressure member at a position to match with the elastic projection, so that a lower surface of the elastic projection functions as a movable contact of a switch, whereby the musical tone control apparatus produces a musical tone control signal in response to a sensor output of the sensing unit.
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21. A musical tone control apparatus of a percussion instrument type comprising:
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an upper cover which is fixed in position;
a pad skin unit having a beat surface which is beaten; and
a sensing unit which is interconnected with the pad skin unit to construct a pad unit which is embedded at a prescribed position of the upper cover, said sensing unit sensing a beat applied to the beat surface of the pad skin unit, wherein the sensing unit is constructed such that a sensor is arranged using a sensor fixing member having elasticity in a floated manner with respect to the upper cover and a radial pressure member is provided to apply pressure to the sensor, while the radial pressure member is fixed using fixing means to the pad skin unit with a peripheral portion thereof, and wherein the fixing means is constructed by an elastic projection, which is formed as an integral part of the pad skin unit, and a hole which is formed on the radial pressure member at a position to match with the elastic projection, so that a lower surface of the elastic projection functions as a movable contact of a switch as well as a stopper when the beat surface of the pad skin unit is beaten strongly, whereby the musical tone control apparatus produces a musical tone control signal in response to a sensor output of the sensing unit.
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22. A musical tone control apparatus of a percussion instrument type comprising:
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an upper case which is fixed in position;
a pad skin unit having a beat surface which is beaten; and
a sensing unit which is assembled together with the pad skin unit to form a pad unit so as to have a pressure sensitivity in response to a beat applied to the beat surface of the pad skin unit, wherein the pad unit is stored in a pad storage portion which corresponds to a hollow formed at a prescribed position of the upper case, whereby the musical tone control apparatus produces a musical tone control signal in response to the beat. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification