Electronic musical instrument
First Claim
1. In an electronic musical instrument, the instrument having at least a first keyboard with movable keys for selecting the sounds to be produced, the instrument further having tone generating circuitry responsive to signals produced by operation of the keys for providing signals which may be transduced into the selected sounds, the improvement comprising:
- transducer means associated with each key, an electrical characteristic of said transducer means varying as a function of the pressure exerted on the associated key, said transducer means each having an output terminal;
electrical power supply means connected to said transducer means whereby voltages which vary as a function of the pressure exerted on the keys will be generated and will appear at said transducer means output terminals;
clock means for generating timing signals;
multiplexer means, said multiplexer means serially and cyclically sampling the voltages which appear at said transducer means output terminals and individually passing the sampled voltages;
means for converting the voltages passed by said multiplexer means into digital data commensurate therewith;
first comparator means for comparing digital data commensurate with the voltages appearing at each of said transducer means output terminals during two successive cycles of said multiplexer means, said first comparator means generating signals commensurate with the difference between the said each transducer means output terminal voltages;
means generating a signal commensurate with a threshold level of key pressure;
second comparator means for comparing said digital data from said converting means with said signal commensurate with the threshold pressure level and generating control signals indicative of the achievement of equality therebetween; and
means responsive to said control signals, said timing signals, said digital data commensurate with said transducer means output terminal voltages and the signals generated by said first comparator means for producing input signals for the tone generating circuitry of the instrument, said input signals being commensurate with variation with time of each of said transducer means output terminal voltages subsequent to said output terminal voltages having reached values commensurate with the said threshold pressure level.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The touch dynamics of the operation of keys of an electronic musical instrument are determined through the use of pressure sensitive transducers associated with the keys, the transducers providing signals which are analyzed to determine their variation in magnitude as a function of time. Additionally, after a preselected time period, if a key remains operated and the pressure exerted thereon is varied, the output voltage of the key associated transducer will be further analyzed to determine if the player is calling for the reproduction of a secondary effect.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. In an electronic musical instrument, the instrument having at least a first keyboard with movable keys for selecting the sounds to be produced, the instrument further having tone generating circuitry responsive to signals produced by operation of the keys for providing signals which may be transduced into the selected sounds, the improvement comprising:
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transducer means associated with each key, an electrical characteristic of said transducer means varying as a function of the pressure exerted on the associated key, said transducer means each having an output terminal; electrical power supply means connected to said transducer means whereby voltages which vary as a function of the pressure exerted on the keys will be generated and will appear at said transducer means output terminals; clock means for generating timing signals; multiplexer means, said multiplexer means serially and cyclically sampling the voltages which appear at said transducer means output terminals and individually passing the sampled voltages; means for converting the voltages passed by said multiplexer means into digital data commensurate therewith; first comparator means for comparing digital data commensurate with the voltages appearing at each of said transducer means output terminals during two successive cycles of said multiplexer means, said first comparator means generating signals commensurate with the difference between the said each transducer means output terminal voltages; means generating a signal commensurate with a threshold level of key pressure; second comparator means for comparing said digital data from said converting means with said signal commensurate with the threshold pressure level and generating control signals indicative of the achievement of equality therebetween; and means responsive to said control signals, said timing signals, said digital data commensurate with said transducer means output terminal voltages and the signals generated by said first comparator means for producing input signals for the tone generating circuitry of the instrument, said input signals being commensurate with variation with time of each of said transducer means output terminal voltages subsequent to said output terminal voltages having reached values commensurate with the said threshold pressure level. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. In an electronic musical instrument, the instrument having at least a first keyboard with movably keys for selecting the sounds to be reproduced, the instrument further having tone generating circuitry responsive to signals produced by operation of the keys for providing signals which may be transduced into the selected sounds, the improvement comprising:
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pressure sensitive transducer means associate with each key, said transducer means providing output signals which are variable as a function of the pressure exerted on the associated key, said transducer means each having an output terminal; electrical power supply means connected to said transducer means whereby voltages which vary as a function of the pressure exerted on the keys will be generated and will appear at said transducer means output terminals; clock means for generating timing signals; multiplexer means, said multiplexer means serially and cyclically sampling the voltages which appear at said transducer means output terminals and providing output signals commensurate with the sampled voltages; means establishing a threshold key exertion pressure level and generating a signal commensurate therewith; first comparator means for comparing said signal commensurate with threshold pressure level with the signals provided by said multiplexer means, said first comparator generating enabling signals when the compared signals achieve equality; first memory means for storing at separate memory locations the signals serially provided by said multiplexer means; second comparator means responsive to the enabling signals generated by said first comparator means, said second comparator means being coupled to said first memory means and said multiplexer means and comparing the signals serially provided by said multiplexer means with signals stored in said first memory means during the sampling the corresponding transducer means during the previous multiplexer means cycle, said second comparator means generating output signals commensurate with the difference between the compared signals, said difference output signals being indicative of the forcefulness with which the associated keys have been touched; and means for applying said difference output signals to the instrument tone generating circuitry. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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Specification