Electronic musical instrument with musical information input means

• US 4,452,119 A
• Filed: 05/29/1980
• Issued: 06/05/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tanimoto, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Truhe, J. V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Isen, Forester W.
• Application Number:
  US06/154,371
• Time in Patent Office: 1,468 Days
• Field of Search: 84/1.28, 84/1.03, 84/1.01, 368/10, 368/75, 368/272-275, 364/705, 364/706
• US Class Current: 84/609
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 13/00 Producing acoustic time signals
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/26 for automatically producing a series of tones
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/261 Numeric keypad used for musical purposes, e.g. musical input via a telephone or calculator-like keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 7/002 using a common processing for different operations or calculations, and a set of microinstructions (programme) to control the sequence thereof

Abstract

Disclosed is an electronic musical instrument with musical information input keys for producing musical information. A plurality of keys are provided for generating musical information of musical notes to introduce musical tones and pitches of the musical notes into the electronic musical instrument. A memory is included within the electronic musical instrument for sequentially memorizing the musical information. A musical generator is provided for sequentially reading out the stored musical information and providing an audio music in response to the stored musical information. The electronic musical instrument may function as an attendant feature of a conventional electronic calculator and/or an electronic timepiece. In a combined electronic musical instrument and calculator, the audio music can be utilized for announcing alarm conditions such as error, premature actuations of keys, overflow, voltage drop in power supply, etc. The audio music can further be used to alarm when a predetermined time has just run in the combined electronic musical instrument and a timepiece.

Claims

1. In an electronic musical instrument comprising means for generating a digital representation corresponding to each of a sequence of musical notes;

electronic memory means for storing each of said digital representations;

means for sequentially recovering each of said digital representations from said electronic memory means, and means for generating audio signals corresponding to the sequence of musical notes from said digital representations, the improvement comprising;

input key switch means within said digital representation generating means for selecting octave, pitch, and duration of notes and designation of rests, and including;

a plurality of input key switches contained within a first actuated group, at least one of which is actuated for determining only octave information, a plurality of input key switches contained within a subsequently actuated group, at least one of which is actuated for determining only pitch information of musical notes;

each of said first actuated input key switches having indicia determinative of the octave information of the musical notes and each said subsequently actuated input key switches having indicia determinative of the pitch information of the musical notes in a selected octave; and

a second plurality of input key switches at least one of said switches being subsequently actuated for determining only length information of said musical notes together with information indicative of the identity and occurrence of rest codes.

2. The electronic musical instrument of claim 1, which further includes sharp and flat input key switch means for introducing sharp and flat information to raise and lower, respectively, the pitch of said musical notes in association with said input key switches determinative of said notes.

3. The electronic musical instrument according to claim 1, which further includes mode selector means for selectively placing said instrument in musical note writing and musical note reading modes, the musical note writing mode being effected to memorize the musical note in the memory means in accordance with actuated ones of said input key switches;

said input key switches including a start key; and

said instrument, in said musical note reading mode being constrained to produce the stored musical note from said memory means in response to the actuating of said start key.

4. The electronic musical instrument according to claim 1, which further includes alarm means responsive to predetermined conditions in said musical instrument for generating a stored musical note for annunciating the occurrence of said predetermined conditions.

5. The electronic musical instrument according to claim 2, wherein said sharp and flat input key switch means is employed for identifying tone information over the sequence of the musical notes.

6. The electronic musical instrument according to claim 1, wherein there is further provided a triplet input key switch for changing code information to modify the length of said musical notes.

7. The electronic musical instrument according to claim 1, wherein there is further provided a music program dividing key means for dividing the digital representations into selected subsequences of musical notes.

8. The electronic musical instrument according to claim 1, wherein an electronic timepiece means is further incorporated within the electronic musical instrument for generating horological information.

9. The electronic musical instrument according to claim 8, which further includes alarm means responsive to said horological information for generating a said stored musical note for annunciating when a predetermined time has just run in said musical instrument.

10. The electronic musical instrument according to claim 9, which further includes alarm means responsive to predetermined conditions in said musical instrument for generating a stored musical note for annunciating the occurrence of said predetermined conditions.

11. The electronic musical instrument according to claim 10, wherein said alarm means is further responsive to said horological information for generating a said stored musical note for annunciating when a predetermined time has just run in said musical instrument.

12. The electronic musical instrument according to claim 8, which further includes alarm means responsive to said horological information for annunciating when a predetermined time has just run in said musical instrument.

13. The musical instrument of claim 7, wherein said music program dividing key means generates music program dividing code information to divide the digital representations of musical information into said selected subsequences of musical notes.

14. In an electronic musical instrument comprising means for generating a digital representation corresponding to each of a sequence of musical notes;

electronic memory means for storing each of said digital representations;

means for sequentially recovering each of said digital representations from said electronic memory means, and means for generating audio signals corresponding to the sequence of musical notes from said digital representations, the improvement comprising;

input key switch means within said digital representation generating means for selecting octave, pitch, and duration of notes, and including a plurality of input key switches contained within a first actuated group, at least one of which is actuated for determining only octave information, a plurality of input key switches contained within a subsequently actuated group, at least one of which is actuated for determining only pitch information of musical notes;

each of said first actuated input key switches having indicia determinative of the octave information of the musical notes and each of said subsequently actuated input key switches having indicia determinative of the pitch information of the musical notes in a selected octave; and

a second plurality of input key switches being subsequently actuated for determining only length information of said musical notes and having indicia determinative of said length information of the said musical notes.

15. The electronic musical instrument according to claim 14, which further includes sharp and flat input key switch means for introducing sharp and flat information to raise and lower, respectively, the pitch of said musical notes in association with said input key switches determinative of said notes.

16. The electronic musical instrument according to claim 14, further comprising electronic calculator means for performing arithmetic operations implemented within the electronic musical instrument;

said electronic calculator means including function key means for selectively designating functional operating modes for said calculator means; and

wherein said input key switches introduce numeral information into the electronic calculator to be processed therein in accordance with a said functional operating mode designated by said function key means.

17. The electronic musical instrument according to claim 15, wherein said sharp and flat input key switch means is employed for identifying tone information over the sequence of the musical notes.

18. The electronic musical instrument according to claim 14, wherein there is further provided a triplet input key switch for changing code information to modify the length of said musical notes.

19. The electronic musical instrument according to claim 14, wherein there is further provided a music program dividing key means for dividing the digital representations into selected subsequence of musical notes.

20. The electronic musical instrument according to claim 14, which further includes mode selector means for selectively placing said instrument in musical note writing and musical note reading modes, the musical note writing mode being effected to memorize the musical note in the memory means in accordance with actuated ones of said input key switches;

said input key switches including a start key; and

said instrument, in said musical note reading mode being constrained to produce the stored musical note from said memory means in response to the actuating of said start key.

21. The electronic musical instrument according to claim 14, which further includes alarm means responsive to predetermined conditions in said musical instrument for generating a stored musical note for annunciating the occurrence of said predetermined conditions.

22. The electronic musical instrument according to claim 14, wherein an electronic timepiece means is further incorporated within the electronic musical instrument for generating horological information.

23. The electronic musical instrument according to claim 22, which further includes alarm means responsive to said horological information for generating a said stored musical note for annunciating when a predetermined time has just run in said musical instrument.

24. The electronic musical instrument according to claim 14, wherein:

electronic calculator means are implemented within the electronic musical instrument;

said electronic calculator means including function key means for selectively designating functional operating modes for said calculator means; and

wherein said input key switches are adapted to introduce numeral information into the electronic calculator to be processed therein in accordance with a said functional operating mode designated by said function key means; and

an electronic timepiece means is further incorporated within the electronic musical instrument for generating horological information.

25. The electronic musical instrument according to claim 24, which further includes alarm means responsive to said horological information for generating a said stored musical note for annunciating when a predetermined time has just run in said musical instrument.

26. The electronic musical instrument according to claim 24, which further includes alarm means responsive to predetermined conditions in said musical instrument for generating a stored musical note for annunciating the occurrence of said predetermined conditions.

27. The electronic musical instrument according to claim 26, wherein said alarm means is further responsive to said horological information for generating a said stored musical note for annunciating when a predetermined time has just run in said musical instrument.

28. The musical instrument of claim 14, wherein the digital representation corresponding to each musical note includes information determinative of the pitch, octave, and length qualities of each musical note, one of said input key switches being actuated to enter information relating to each quality of each musical note.

29. The musical instrument of claim 19, wherein said music program dividing key means generates program dividing code information to divide the digital representations of musical information into selected subsequences of musical notes.

30. In an electronic musical instrument and calculating system comprising means for generating a digital representation corresponding to each of a sequence of musical notes;

electronic memory means for storing each of said digital representations;

means for sequentially recovering each of said digital representations from said electronic memory means, and means for generating audio signals corresponding to the sequence of musical notes from the said digital representations, the improvement comprising;

electronic calculator means for performing arithmetic operations including function key means for selectively designating functional operating modes for said calculator means;

input key switch means within said digital representation generating means for selecting octave, pitch, and duration of notes and designation of rests, and including a plurality of input key switches contained within a first actuated group at least one of which is actuated for determining only octave information, a plurality of input key switches contained within a subsequently actuated group, at least one of which is actuated for determining only pitch information of musical notes;

each of said first actuated input key switches having indicia determinative of the octave information of the musical notes and each of said subsequently actuated input key switches having indicia determinative of the pitch information of the musical notes in a selected octave; and

a second plurality of input key switches at least one of which is subsequently actuated for determining only length information of said musical notes and having indicia determinative of said length information together with information indicative of the indentity and occurrence of rest codes, said input key switches further introducing numeral information into said electronic calculating means to be processed therein when desired in accordance with a said functional operating mode designated by said function key means.

31. In an electronic musical instrument, calculator and timepiece comprising means for generating a digital representation corresponding to each of a sequence of musical notes, electronic memory means for storing each of said digital representations, means for sequentially recovering each of said digital representations from said electronic memory means, and means for generating audio signals corresponding to the sequence of musical notes from said digital representations, the improvement comprising:

electronic calculator means for performing arithmetic operations including function key means for selectively designating functional operating modes for said calculator means;

electronic timepiece means for generating horological information;

input key switch means within said digital representation generating means for selecting octave, pitch and duration of notes and designation of rests, and including a plurality of input key switches contained within a first actuated group at least one of which is actuated for determining only octave information, a plurality of input key switches contained within a subsequently actuated group, at least one of which is actuated for determining only pitch information of musical notes;

each of said first actuated input key switch having indicia determinative of the octave information of the musical notes and each of said subsequently actuated input key switches having indicia determinative of the pitch information of the musical notes in a selected octave; and

a second plurality of input key switches at least one of which is subsequently actuated for determining only length information of said musical notes and having indicia determinative of said length information together with information indicative of the identity and occurrence of rest codes;

said input key switches further introducing numeral information into said electronic calculator means to be processed therein when desired in accordance with a said functional operating mode designated by said function key means.

32. An electronic calculator and timepiece comprising:

input key switch means including a single plurality of keys for both providing numeral information and musical information;

processing means responsive to said numeral information provided by said input key switch means for calculating arithmetic operations;

means responsive to said musical information provided by said input key switch means for decoding said musical information;

memory means for storing and later recalling said decoded musical information;

means responsive to information recalled from said memory means for generating audible sounds in response thereto; and

a timepiece having an alarm;

said means for generating audible sounds being actuated in response to activation of said alarm.

33. A combined electronic calculator and timepiece comprising:

means for generating horological information;

input key switch means including a single plurality of keys for providing both numeral information and musical information;

processing means responsive to said digit information provided by said input key switch means for calculating arithmetic operations;

means responsive to said musical information provided by said input key switch means for decoding said musical information;

memory means for storing and later recalling said decoded musical information;

operating means responsive to information recalled from said memory means for generating audible sounds in response thereto; and

alarm means for producing an alarm signal in response to the generation of desired horological information;

said means for generating audible sounds being responsive to the alarm signal produced by said alarm means.

34. The calculator and timepiece of claim 33 further comprising:

an additional input key switch means; and

means for changing the audible sounds generated by said means for generating audible sounds in response to actuation of said additional input key switch means.