Musical tone control apparatus and sending device for electronic musical instrument

• US 20010011496A1
• Filed: 03/20/2001
• Published: 08/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Junichi Mishima, Naota Katada, Yasuhiro Hinago
• Original Assignee: Junichi Mishima, Naota Katada, Yasuhiro Hinago
• Inventors: Katada, Naota, Hinago, Yasuhiro, Mishima, Junichi
• Granted Patent: US 6,639,140 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 84/600
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/336 Control shoe or boot, i.e. sensor-equipped lower part of lower limb, e.g. shoe, toe ring, sock, ankle bracelet or leg control attachment garment sensors G10H2220/321; floor sensing devices, e.g. sensing mats G10H2220/341
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/525 Piezoelectric transducers for vibration sensing or vibration excitation in the audio range; Piezoelectric strain sensing, e.g. as key velocity sensor; Piezoelectric actuators, e.g. key actuation in response to a control voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 3/14 using mechanically actuated vibrators with pick-up means G10H3/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 3/146 using a membrane, e.g. a drum; Pick-up means for vibrating surfaces, e.g. housing of an instrument
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 84/24 Piezoelectrical transducers

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.

Claims

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.

2. A musical tone control apparatus for a shoe-type footwear, comprising:

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.

3. In a musical tone control apparatus equipped with a sensing device, said sensing device 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.

4. A sensing device for an electronic musical instrument comprising:

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.

5. A sensing device for the electronic musical instrument according to

claim 4

wherein a cover and a damp cover are attached to a bottom surface of the sensor case.

6. A sensing device for the electronic musical instrument according to

claim 5

wherein the cover is made of stainless steel and is formed in a circular-tray-like shape, while the damp cover is made of rubber.

7. A sensing device for the electronic musical instrument according to

claim 4

wherein the sensor case is formed in a disc-like shape made of ABS resin, while the sensor fixing member and the disc plate pressure member are formed in thin-disc-like shapes made of stainless steel having high springiness.

8. A sensing device for the electronic musical instrument according to

claim 4

further comprising an annular elastic member for elastically supporting the disc plate pressure member within the sensor case.

9. A sensing device for the electronic musical instrument according to

claim 4

wherein the sensor case consists of a sensor positioning portion having a thin-disc-like shape corresponding to a center area of the sensor case, a sensor support portion having an annular shape which is formed as an outer periphery of the sensor positioning portion, and a flange portion which is formed as an outer periphery of the sensor support portion to have thickness which is larger than thickness of the sensor positioning portion.

10. A sensing device for the electronic musical instrument according to

claim 9

wherein the piezoelectric sensor is located to match with the sensor positioning portion, in which a concave is formed in response to a lead of the piezoelectric sensor, and wherein a groove is formed to communicate with the concave through a selected part of the sensor support portion and a selected part of the flange portion, so that the lead of the piezoelectric sensor is extended to an outside via the groove.

11. A sensing device for the electronic musical instrument according to

claim 4

wherein a positioning projection is formed at a center of the sensor fixing member, while a swelling portion is formed at the center area of the disc plate pressure member, so that the sensor fixing member and the disc plate pressure member are securely fixed to each other in such a way that the positioning projection engages with a positioning hole which is formed at a center of the swelling portion.

12. A sensing device for an electronic musical instrument comprising:

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.

13. A shoe-type musical tone control apparatus, which is put on a footwear, comprising:

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.

14. A shoe-type musical tone control apparatus according to

claim 13

further comprising a pendulum-type sensor which is attached to an instep portion of the footwear to produce signals in response to vibrations applied thereto when the footwear is subjected to foot motion.

15. A musical tone control apparatus of a percussion instrument type comprising:

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.

16. A musical tone control apparatus of a percussion instrument type comprising:

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.

17. A musical tone control apparatus of a percussion instrument type comprising:

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.

18. A musical tone control apparatus of a percussion instrument type comprising:

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.

19. A musical tone control apparatus of a percussion instrument type comprising:

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.

20. A musical tone control apparatus of a percussion instrument type comprising:

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.

21. A musical tone control apparatus of a percussion instrument type comprising:

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.

22. A musical tone control apparatus of a percussion instrument type comprising:

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.

23. A musical tone control apparatus of the percussion instrument type according to

claim 22

wherein the sensing unit comprises

a radial pressure member which is arranged to face with a back of the pad skin unit,

a sensor fixing member having elasticity in deformation, a center part of which is securely fixed to a center part of the radial pressure member, and

a piezoelectric sensor which is attached approximately to a center of a backside of the sensor fixing member whose frontside is securely fixed to the radial pressure member,

wherein the piezoelectric sensor produces a signal in response to pressure applied thereto via the radial pressure member and the sensor fixing member from the pad skin unit whose beat surface is beaten.

24. A musical tone control apparatus of the percussion instrument type according to

claim 22

wherein the sensor fixing member is fixed in position by being engaged with an inside of an annular projection portion which is formed as a periphery of the pad storage portion having a circular-disc-like shape.

25. A musical tone control apparatus of the percussion instrument type according to

claim 22

wherein the center part of the radial pressure member is formed as a swelling portion which slightly swells downwardly and which has a positioning hole, while the sensor fixing member has a positioning projection which is formed at a center thereof, so that the radial pressure member and the sensor fixing member are securely fixed to each other such that the positioning projection engages with the positioning hole.

26. A musical tone control apparatus of the percussion instrument type according to

claim 22

wherein a plurality of small projections are arranged on a back of the pad skin unit so that an upper surface of the radial pressure member is normally pressed downwardly, except the center part thereof, by the plurality of small projections.

27. A musical tone control apparatus of the percussion instrument type according to

claim 22

wherein a plurality of elastic projections are formed downwardly from a back of a peripheral end portion of the pad skin unit, while a plurality of holes are formed on the radial pressure member at positions corresponding to the plurality of elastic projections respectively, so that the pad skin unit is securely fixed with the radia pressure member at the peripheral end portion thereof such that the plurality of elastic projections are pressed into the plurality of holes respectively.

28. A musical tone control apparatus of the percussion instrument type according to

claim 22

wherein the upper case is made of ABS resin, and the pad skin unit is formed like a circular-disk-like shape made of rubber material, while the sensor fixing member and the radial pressure member are formed in disc-like shapes made of stainless steel.

29. A musical tone control apparatus of the percussion instrument type according to

claim 27

further comprising a plurality of switches, each consisting of a movable contact and a fixed contact, wherein the movable contact is attached to a lower surface of the elastic projection while the fixed contact is attached to an annular flat plane portion which extends annularly from the annular projection portion of the pad storage portion at a position to meet the movable contact.

30. A musical tone control apparatus of the percussion instrument type according to

claim 29

wherein a tone volume is controlled in response to an output of the sensing unit, while a tone color is controlled in response to on/off states of the plurality of switches.

31. A musical tone control apparatus of the percussion instrument type according to

claim 23

further comprising a plurality of light emitters which are arranged on a periphery of the beat surface of the pad skin unit, wherein each of the light emitters is constructed by a light transmission illuminator, which is supported by an peripheral end portion of the radial pressure member, two switches, which are respectively turned on in response to different beat intensities when a beat is applied in proximity to the periphery of the beat surface of the pad skin unit, and a LED whose luminance is controlled in response to the two switches,

whereby each of the light emitters produces light in response to the beat applied to its surrounding area.