Motion controlled musical tone control apparatus

• US 5,105,708 A
• Filed: 09/12/1991
• Issued: 04/21/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Suzuki, Hideo, Sakama, Masao
• Primary Examiner(s): Witkowski, Stanley J.
• Application Number:
  US07/759,736
• Time in Patent Office: 222 Days
• Field of Search: 84/600, 84/615-620, 84/622-633, 84/644, 84/653-665, 84/670, 84/678-690, 84/692-711, 84/718, 128/782
• US Class Current: 84/600
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/00 Details of electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/055 by switches with variable impedance elements
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/34 Switch arrangements, e.g. keyboards or mechanical switches specially adapted for electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/321 Garment sensors, i.e. musical control means with trigger surfaces or joint angle sensors, worn as a garment by the player, e.g. bracelet, intelligent clothing

Abstract

The present invention relates to a musical tone control apparatus which controls the generation of musical tone in response to the motion of player. By retaining holding means in a performer'"'"'s hands and depressing finger pressure sensing means by a finger or fingers, signals are generated in response to the magnitude of finger pressure. When the operation signal generating means receives these signals, a pulse is generated therefrom. The beginning of the pulse is determined by associating the signals from the finger pressure sensing means with a predetermined first signal level. The ending of the pulse is determined by associating the signals from the finger pressure sending means with a predetermined second signal level, the predetermined second signal level being closer to a reference signal level which is set in releasing position than the predetermined first signal level. That is, the time interval of the pulse is determined by the characteristic of the hysteresis. Then, the musical tone control data generating means generates musical tone control data in response to the pulse. Thus, this musical tone control data is transmitted to a musical tone generating apparatus while a performer performs with vigorous movement.

Claims

1. A musical tone control apparatus comprising:

movement sensing means for sensing the magnitude of movement of a player and generating a first signal in response to the sensed magnitude of movement, said movement sensing means being retainable by part of the human body;

signal generating means for generating an alternative second signal by comparing said first signal with a predetermined first signal level associated with a rising part of said first signal outputted from said movement sensing means and with a predetermined second signal level associated with a falling part of said first signal from said movement sensing means, said signal generating means generating said alternative second signal having one value immediately after said rising part of said first signal exceeds said first signal level and generating said alternative second signal having another value when said falling part of said first signal becomes lower than said second signal level; and

musical tone control data generating means for generating musical tone control data to control a musical tone generating apparatus based on said second signal from said signal generating means.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said predetermined second signal level is closer to a reference signal than said predetermined first signal level, wherein said reference signal level is determined in the released state of said movement sensing means.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said movement sensing means comprises:

holding means retained by a hand;

finger pressure sensing means for sensing the magnitude of pressure responsive to finger pressure applied to said finger pressure sensing means and generating a pressure signal in response to a sensed magnitude of pressure, said finger pressure sensing means arranged in said holding means; and

arm position sensing means attached on an arm, said arm position sensing means generating a position signal in response to the position of the arm movement, in which the pressure signal and the position signal comprise the signal from said movement sensing means.

4. A musical tone control apparatus comprising:

movement sensing means for sensing the magnitude of movement of a player and generating a signal in response to the sensed magnitude of movement, said movement sensing means retained by part of the human body;

signal generating means for generating a pulse, the beginning of which is determined by timing when a level of the signal becomes equal to a predetermined first signal level, and the end of which is determined by timing when a level of the signal becomes equal to a predetermined second signal level, in which said signal level is supplied from said movement sensing means; and

musical tone control data generating means for generating musical tone control data to control a musical tone generating apparatus based on the pulse from said signal generating means.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said predetermined second signal level is closer to a reference signal than said predetermined first signal level, wherein said reference signal level is determined in the released state of said movement sensing means.

6. An apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said movement sensing means comprises:

holding means retained by a hand;

finger pressure sensing means for sensing the magnitude of pressure responsive to finger pressure applied to said finger pressure sensing means and generating a pressure signal in response to a sensed magnitude of pressure, said finger pressure sensing means arranged in said holding means; and

arm position sensing means attached on an arm, said arm position sensing means generating a position signal in response to the position of the arm movement, in which the pressure signal and the position signal comprise the signal from said movement sensing means.

7. A musical tone control apparatus comprising:

a pressure sensor for outputting a signal corresponding to an applied pressure of each finger of a player'"'"'s hand, said pressure sensor being assembled into a holding means having a shape capable of being held by one hand of a player;

detecting means for detecting an operation of a finger and outputting a pulse signal having a first logical level when said signal has a value lower than a first level, said pulse signal having a second logical level when said signal has a value higher than a second level, in which said second level is set closer to a non-pressure level of said pressure sensor than said first level; and

musical tone control data generating means for generating musical tone control data, said data being used for controlling a musical tone generating apparatus based on said pulse signal outputted from said detecting means.

8. A method for generating a musical performance employing a plurality of sensors mounted on, or held by, a performer, said sensors including a hand held unit having a plurality of finger-activated switches and an elbow angle sensor, comprising the steps of:

detecting bending actions of the performer'"'"'s fingers and providing data from said finger switches in response to activation thereof by the performer;

detecting a bending action of the performer'"'"'s elbow and providing data from said elbow angle sensor related to the bending angle in response to the bending of the performer'"'"'s elbow;

generating tone control data based on data from said finger switches;

generating musical scale control data based on data from said elbow sensors; and

generating musical tones based on said tone control data and on said musical scale control data.

9. A method for controlling a musical performance according to claim 8, wherein said tone control data comprises octave, tone color, key-on/touch or musical effect control data.

10. A method for controlling a musical performance according to claim 9, wherein the tone color control data selects the tone colors of a piano, flute or saxophone.

11. A method for controlling a musical performance according to claim 9, wherein the octave control data designates the first, second, third or fourth octave.

12. A method for controlling a musical performance according to claim 9, wherein the key-on/touch control data designates flat, sharp or natural tones.

13. A method for controlling a musical performance according to claim 9, wherein the musical effect control data corresponds to tone volume, vibrato or wow.

14. A method for controlling a musical performance according to claim 8, wherein said sensors further comprise a second hand held unit having a plurality of switches and wherein said step of generating tone control data comprises providing tone color control data and octave control data based on data from the first hand held unit and providing key-on/touch or musical effect control data based on data from the second hand held unit.

15. A method for controlling a musical performance according to claim 8, wherein said sensors further comprise a second elbow angle sensor, and wherein the combination of data from the two elbow angle sensors selects a musical scale.