Keyboard input coding device and musical note displaying device

• US 4,476,767 A
• Filed: 07/19/1982
• Issued: 10/16/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Elemex Corporation (Ricoh Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Watch Company Limited
• Inventors: Katsuoka, Ritsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Witkowski, Stanley J.
• Application Number:
  US06/403,633
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 84/1.01, 84/1.03, 84/477 R, 84/478, 84/115
• US Class Current: 84/115
• CPC Class Codes: G10G 1/00 Means for the representation of music
• CPC Class Codes: G10G 3/04 using electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0008 Associated control or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/086 for transcription of raw audio or music data to a displayed or printed staff representation or to displayable MIDI-like note-oriented data, e.g. in pianoroll format
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/015 Musical staff, tablature or score displays, e.g. for score reading during a performance

Abstract

This invention relates to a keyboard input coding device comprising a counter for counting ON and OFF duration of signals obtained by pushing a keyboard, an encoder for producing codes of musical interval corresponding to keys of the keyboard, a note-length discriminating circuit for taking count values from the counter based on signals from the keyboard and discriminating a note-length, a note-length memory circuit for receiving or supplying the note-length data from or to the note-length discriminating circuit, a reference time generating circuit for supplying the note-length discriminating circuit with data of partitioning a musical section and a processing control circuit, wherein the discrimination of the note-length is effected by referring to the note-length between sequential notes according to data stored in the memory circuit, thereby a musical note with a note-length to agree well with intention of an operator is coded after correcting the key input duration data according to estimates made from the relation of the note-length between sequential notes, and also to a musical note displaying device comprising a CRT display, a character ROM, a video RAM and a timing circuit for these circuits, wherein an additional note-chaining circuit is provided to take musical note data outputted by the keyboard input coding device, note-chaining data (musical interval) between sequential two musical notes and note-chaining pattern selecting data in the musical note data and to generate note-chaining pattern corresponding to musical note position, and the note-chaining pattern data generated from the additional note-chaining circuit and the musical note pattern of the character ROM are superposed so as to produce a chained note thereby a musical note is displayed at pattern which can be clearly seen as a staff.

Claims

1. An electronic musical instrument comprising a keyboard means for generating the keyboard signals by means of keying operation,

a musical interval code producing means for producing the musical interval codes based on the keyboard signals from the said keyboard means,

a detecting means for detecting rise and fall states of the said keyboard signals,

a counting means for counting ON and OFF duration of the said keyboard signals and outputting counting data,

a memory means of data for note-length coding for memorizing predetermined comparing data and triplet discriminating data,

a note-length discriminating means for receiving said counting data based on signals from the said detecting means and coding the said counting data according to said comparing data in the said memory means and correcting the data according to the said triplet discriminating data taken in sequence and thus providing note-length data for discriminating the note-length of the notes having possibility of a triplet, and

a controlling means for controlling the said memory means and note-length discriminating means.

2. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the said controlling means is provided with a note data memory circuit, which stores said discriminated note-length data as having possibility of a triplet and which outputs a chained-noted sign when chained-note data corresponding to one interval is stored.

3. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 2, wherein the said memory means of data for note-length coding, in which the said triplet discriminating data has a data X-1 immediately preceding an original data X of note-length to be discriminated and also a data corresponding to the number of notes at the beginning of an interval.

4. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 3, wherein the said controlling means has a control circuit which codes the note-length original data X to the note-length of a triplet by the said comparing data previously determined, and registers the coded data X in the said note data memory circuit without modification, if the said coded data X is at the beginning of one interval, and registers the coded data X as data having possibility of a triplet in the said note data memory circuit, if said coded data X is not at the beginning of one interval, only when the data X-1 is coded in similar note-length of a triplet.

5. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the musical interval code producing means comprises a plurality of encoders in parallel arrangement for producing signals of three bits from eight inputs connected to the said keyboard means, signal lines to indicate which of said plurality of encoders is selected in keying operating of the said keyboard, and a gate circuit of the said bits of each of said plurality of encoders as parallel inputs and producing interval output signals to indicate musical interval.

6. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 1 wherein the note-length discriminating means comprises a reference time generating circuit for supplying a data for partitioning a musical section and a speaker connected to said reference time generating circuit to generate a signal tone for metronome.

7. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the said controlling means is a control circuit which is controlled in program control by a central processing unit CPU.

8. A musical note displaying device comprising a timing circuit which produces the output of an address scanning signal, a video RAM for taking the input of the said address scanning signal and a musical note data, a character ROM for generating a musical note pattern based on the signal from the said video RAM, and said address scanning signal, an additional note-chaining circuit for taking note-chaining data of a musical interval between sequential two musical notes and note-chaining pattern corresponding to musical note position, and also comprising a synthesizing circuit for producing the output of a synthesized pattern according to the note-chaining pattern generated from the said additional note-chaining circuit and the musical note pattern generated from the said character ROM, and a CRT display for displaying a musical note in a pattern based on said synthesized pattern from said synthesizing circuit.

9. A musical note displaying device according to claim 8, wherein said additional note-chaining circuit comprises an additional video RAM to write chained-note data as vertical address data corresponding to a ROW address, a subtractor to subtract output of the additional video RAM from ROW address data of the timing circuit, and an additional ROM for chained-note pattern to receive the subtractor output as ROW address data.

10. A musical note displaying device according to claim 8 or 9, comprising a first discriminating circuit to discriminate that sixteenth or eighth notes appear twice consecutively, a second discriminating circuit to discriminate that the previous note is at an interval of the order of odd number in unit of a sixteenth note in the case of sequential sixteenth notes, a third discriminating circuit to discriminate that the previous note is at a first interval in unit of a quarter note in similar manner to condition of the said second discriminating circuit in the case of sequential eighth note, and a fourth discriminating circuit to discriminate that the subsequent note among the sequential notes are note accompanied by ♯

, ♭

, and ♮

, and also comprising a selecting circuit wherein the address of the video RAM is changed and chained-note pattern is selected based on output of the first discriminating circuit through the fourth discriminating circuit, and also comprising a control circuit for controlling the same first discriminating circuit through fourth discriminating circuit and the said selecting circuit as well wherein said device further comprises a means for determining whether the interval between sounds is three degrees or less and means for determining whether the height of two sounds is disposed on the same side with respect to a third line of a staff.