Drive control system for display devices

• US 4,422,365 A
• Filed: 12/16/1981
• Issued: 12/27/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Iwaki, Shunichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Perkey, William B.
• Application Number:
  US06/331,159
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 84/470 R, 84/478, 340/286 M, 340/807, 340/365 S, 340/802, 340/712, 340/789, 434/228, 434/232
• US Class Current: 84/478
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0016 Means for indicating which keys, frets or strings are to be actuated, e.g. using lights or leds
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/061 LED, i.e. using a light-emitting diode as indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/215 using a magnetic strip on a card or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/445 Bar codes or similar machine readable optical code patterns, e.g. two dimensional mesh pattern, for musical input or control purposes

Abstract

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are provided for operation keys such as a tone select switch or performance keys of an electronic musical instrument. The display drive lines for the LEDs are arranged in the form of a matrix, and a dynamic drive signal is supplied to them. With these LEDs, the operation state of the operation keys is indicated. The LEDs are adapted to indicate the performance key to be operated next to the player.

Claims

1. An electronic musical instrument having a plurality of operation keys and display devices provided for said respective operation keys, comprising:

matrix wiring means coupled to said operation keys and including intersecting row lines and column lines for wiring said plurality of operation keys in a matrix;

wiring means coupled to said display devices for connecting display devices corresponding to said plurality of operation keys to said row lines and column lines of said matrix wiring means at the intersections of said row lines and column lines of said matrix;

scanning signal generating means coupled to said matrix wiring means for supplying a scanning signal to said matrix wiring means for scanning said plurality of operation keys; and

drive signal generating means coupled to said matrix wiring means for supplying a drive signal to said matrix wiring means for selectively turning one said display devices.

2. The electronic musical instrument according to claim 1, wherein said drive signal generating means supplies said drive signal for selectively turning on said display devices to said matrix wiring means at a time other than at the timing when said scanning signal is output by said scanning signal generating means.

3. The electronic musical instrument according to claim 2, wherein said drive signal generating means includes means for turning on said display devices by varying the voltage level of said drive signal.

4. The electronic musical instrument according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of operation keys are performance keys related to individual musical notes.

5. The electronic musical instrument according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of operation keys are operation switches of said musical instrument.

6. The electronic musical instrument according to claim 5, wherein said operation keys comprise at least one of a tone select switch and a rhythm select switch.

7. The electronic musical instrument according to claim 1, further comprising key operation detecting means coupled to said matrix wiring means for detecting key depressions of said operation keys according to signals delivered from said matrix wiring means, said drive signal generating means being responsive to said key operation detecting means for supplying said drive signal for selectively turning on said display devices.

8. The electronic musical instrument according to claim 7, comprising time sharing means coupling said scanning signal and said drive signal to said matrix wiring means in a time-shared manner.

9. An electronic apparatus having a plurality of operation keys and display devices provided for said respective operation keys, comprising:

matrix wiring means coupled to said operation keys and including intersecting row lines and column lines for wiring said plurality of operation keys in a matrix;

wiring means coupled to said display devices for connecting said display devices corresponding to said plurality of operation keys to said row lines and column lines of said matrix wiring means at the intersections of said row lines and column lines of said matrix;

scanning signal generating means coupled to said matrix wiring means for supplying a scanning signal to said matrix wiring means for scanning said plurality of operation keys;

key operation detecting means coupled to said matrix wiring means for detecting key depressions of said operation keys according to signals delivered from said matrix wiring means; and

drive signal generating means coupled to said matrix wiring means and to said key operation detecting means for supplying a drive signal to said matrix wiring means for selectively turning on said display devices in accordance with the detected key depressions of said operation keys.

10. The electronic apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said drive signal generating means supplies said drive signal for selectively turning on said display devices to said matrix wiring means at a time other than at the timing when said scanning signal is output by said scanning signal generating means.

11. The electronic apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said drive signal generating means includes means for turning on said display devices by varying the voltage level of said drive signal.

12. The electronic musical instrument according to claim 10, comprising time sharing means coupling said scanning signal and said drive signal to said matrix wiring means in a time-shared manner.