Musical tone control apparatus

• US 5,177,311 A
• Filed: 12/21/1990
• Issued: 01/05/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Suzuki, Hideo, Nakada, Akira, Sakama, Masao, Obata, Masahiko, Kimpara, Mamoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Grimley, A. T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Matthew S.
• Application Number:
  US07/631,213
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 84/DIG. 12, 84/422 R, 84/422 S, 84/1.01, 84/1.03, 84/1.1, 84/1.27, 84/1.19, 84/477 B, 84/1.13, 84/422 C, 84/422 H, 84/1.26, 84/678 , 84/687, 84/692, 84/701, 84/702, 84/703, 84/718, 84/600, 84/422.1-422.4, 200/61.47, 200/61.46, 200/61.45, 200/61.51, 200/61.52, 200/61.48, D17/22-24, 367/99, 367/116, 324/162, 340/384 R, 340/384 E
• US Class Current: 84/600
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/00 Details of electrophonic musical instruments
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/395 Acceleration sensing or accelerometer use, e.g. 3D movement computation by integration of accelerometer data, angle sensing with respect to the vertical, i.e. gravity sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/525 Piezoelectric transducers for vibration sensing or vibration excitation in the audio range; Piezoelectric strain sensing, e.g. as key velocity sensor; Piezoelectric actuators, e.g. key actuation in response to a control voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 84/12 Side; rhythm and percussion devices

Abstract

The musical tone control apparatus includes at least a sensor for detecting a movement of a player and a control circuit for controlling a tone element of a musical tone to be generated based on the detected movement of the player. The sensor may be equipped within a stick or mounted at predetermined portion of the player. As the movement of the player, the sensor can detect a swinging angle of a player'"'"'s arm, an acceleration applied thereto or a distance between a player'"'"'s hand and a predetermined object such as a wall. As the tone element of the musical tone, the control circuit controls a tone color, a tone pitch or a tone volume of the musical tone.

Claims

1. A musical tone control apparatus for controlling a musical tone to be generated by an external musical tone generating apparatus comprising:

(a) a stick having a shape which can be held by a player'"'"'s hand;

(b) memory means for storing a plurality of tone colors;

(c) selecting means for selecting a tone volume and a tone color of said musical tone, said selecting means further comprising at least one push-button switch, wherein the number of said push-button switches is less than the number of said tone colors; and

(d) control means for reading a desirable tone color selected by an operating state of said push-button switch from said memory means, said control means outputting a control signal corresponding to a desirable tone volume designated by said selecting means, whereby a musical tone having said desirable tone color and said desirable tone volume is to be generated by said external musical tone generating apparatus.

2. A musical tone control apparatus for controlling a musical tone to be generated comprising:

(a) a stick having a shape which can be held by a player'"'"'s hand;

(b) selecting means for selecting a tone volume and a tone color of said musical tone, said selecting means being mounted on or equipped within said stick;

(c) memory means for storing a plurality of tone colors; and

(d) control means for reading a desirable tone color selected by said selecting means from said memory means, said control means outputting a desirable tone volume designated by said selected means whereby a musical tone having said desirable tone color and said desirable tone volume is to be generated;

wherein said selecting means comprises at least

a switch for selecting said desirable tone color, said switch being mounted on said stick, and

an acceleration sensor for detecting a swinging acceleration applied to said stick and outputting a detection signal the level of which corresponds to said swinging acceleration, said acceleration sensor being equipped within said stick, said desirable tone volume being designated by the level of said detection signal.

3. A musical tone control apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising

an interface circuit for passing an output signal of said switch to said control means wherein said desirable tone color is selected, said interface circuit generating digital data representative of said desirable tone volume based on the level of said detection signal, and said digital data being outputted to said control means wherein said desirable tone volume is designated.

4. A musical tone control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said desirable tone color is selected in accordance with the times by which said switch is depressed by the player in a certain period.

5. A musical tone control apparatus according to claim 4 further comprising another switch for determining said certain period.

6. A musical tone control apparatus for controlling a musical tone to be generated by an external musical tone generating apparatus comprising:

(a) a stick having a shape which can be held by a player'"'"'s hand;

(b) selecting means for selecting a tone volume and a tone color of said musical tone, said selecting means being mounted on or equipped within said stick, said selecting means comprising;

(i) a first acceleration sensor for detecting a first swinging acceleration of said stick in a first direction so as to generate a first detection signal; and

(ii) a second acceleration sensor for detecting a second swinging acceleration of said stick in a second direction perpendicular to said first direction so as to separate a second detection signal, both of said first and second acceleration sensors being equipped within said stick, said tone color being selected based on said first and second detection signals;

(c) memory means for storing a plurality of tone colors; and

(d) control means for reading a desirable tone color selected by said selecting means from said memory means, said control means outputting a control signal corresponding to a desirable tone volume designated by said selecting means, whereby a musical tone having said desirable tone color and said desirable tone volume is to be generated by said external musical tone generating apparatus.

7. A musical tone control apparatus for controlling a generation of a musical tone in a musical tone generating apparatus comprising:

(a) a stick which can be held by a player'"'"'s hand;

(b) switching means mounted on said stick;

(c) angle detecting means for detecting a swinging angle of said stick when the player swings up said stick, said angle detecting means being equipped within said stick;

(d) a tone color memory for storing tone color information representative of a plurality of tone colors; and

(e) control means for reading a desirable tone color information from said tone color memory in accordance with a detection of said detecting means when said switching means is in an operating state, wherein said control means is capable of controlling another quality of a musical tone, other than tone color, based on the swinging angle detected by said stick when said switching means is in another operating state, said desirable tone color information being supplied to said musical tone generating apparatus, whereby a tone color of a musical tone to be generated is controlled by said desirable tone color information.

8. A musical tone control apparatus for controlling a musical tone to be generated comprising:

(a) a stick having a shape which can be held by a player'"'"'s hand;

(b) a first switch for controlling start of sounding of the musical tone;

(c) a second switch for setting a tone color of the musical tone, both of said first and second switches being respectively mounted on said stick;

(d) angle detecting means equipped within said stick, said angle detecting means detecting a swinging angle of said stick which is swung by a player;

(e) memory means for storing a plurality of predetermined tone colors respectively corresponding to predetermined angle ranges; and

(f) control means for controlling the tone pitch of the musical tone based on detected swinging angle of said stick in response to an operating state of said first switch, said control means selecting and setting one of said predetermined tone colors corresponding to said predetermined angle range to which said detected swinging angle of said stick belongs in response to an operating state of said second switch, whereby a musical tone having the selected tone color and also having said tone pitch controlled by said control means is generated.

9. A musical tone control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said control means controls said tone pitch of the musical tone while said first switch is operated, said control means changing said tone color of the musical tone when said second switch is operated but said first switch is not operated.

10. A musical tone control apparatus, for controlling a generation of a musical tone in a musical tone generating apparatus, comprising:

(a) a stick which can be held by a player;

(b) a transmitter mounted on an arm of said player who holds said stick by his hand;

(c) a receiver for receiving an output signal of said transmitter and providing a receiver output signal, said receiver being configured within said stick; and

(d) control means for receiving said receiver output signal and outputting tone color information corresponding to said receiver output signal to said musical tone generating apparatus to thereby control a tone color of a musical tone to be generated.

11. A musical tone control apparatus for controlling a musical tone to be generated comprising:

(a) a stick having a shape which can be held by a player'"'"'s hand;

(b) angle detecting means for detecting a swinging angle of said stick and providing swinging angle data, said angle detecting means being equipped within said stick;

(c) transmitter means for transmitting a radio wave having a predetermined frequency in the air, said transmitter means being put on a player'"'"'s arm;

(d) receiver means for receiving said radio wave and outputting frequency data representative of said predetermined frequency, said receiver means being equipped within said stick; and

(e) control means for receiving said swinging angle data from said angle detecting means and controlling a tone pitch of the musical tone based on said swinging angle of said stick detected by said angle detecting means and for also receiving said frequency data from said receiver means and changing a tone color of the musical tone based on said frequency data.

12. A musical tone control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said receiver means comprises

(a) a receiver for receiving said radio wave;

and

(b) frequency discriminating means for discriminating said predetermined frequency from other frequencies so as to generate said frequency data in response to a discriminating result thereof.

13. A musical tone control apparatus for controlling a generation of a musical tone in a musical tone generating apparatus comprising:

(a) a stick which can be held by a player'"'"'s hand;

(b) a sensor module which can be freely mounted to and removed from said stick, said sensor module having a sensor for detecting a movement of a player'"'"'s arm so that said sensor module outputs a detecting result of said sensor and discrimination information for identifying the type of said sensor mounted thereto; and

(c) control means for generating a control signal based on said detecting result of said sensor and said discrimination information, said musical tone generating apparatus being controlled by said control signal.

14. A musical tone control apparatus for controlling a musical tone to be generated comprising:

(a) a stick having a shape which can be held by a player'"'"'s hand;

(b) a sensor module which can be freely mounted to and removed from said stick, said sensor module including sensor means for detecting a movement of said player'"'"'s hand holding said stick so that said sensor module outputs first data representative of a detected movement of said player'"'"'s hand and second data representative of the type of said sensor means mounted to said sensor module; and

(c) control means for controlling a tone pitch of said musical tone based on said first and second data.

15. A musical tone control apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said sensor module further includes discrimination means for outputting said second data.

16. A musical tone control apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said second data identifies said sensor means as one of an angle sensor for detecting a swinging angle of said stick and an acceleration sensor for detecting an acceleration applied to said stick, and wherein said first data represents said swinging angle or said acceleration of said stick.

17. A musical tone control apparatus according to claim 16 further including selector means for selecting an output of one of said angle sensor and said acceleration sensor based on said second data, whereby said selector means outputs a selected output as said first data.

18. A musical tone control apparatus for controlling a generation of a musical tone in a musical tone generating apparatus comprising:

(a) two sticks each being mounted with movement detecting means for detecting a movement of said stick and providing an output signal and an operating switch having at least two operating states; and

(b) control means for controlling said musical tone generating apparatus in response to outputs of said movement detecting means and said switches wherein combinations of the operating states of the switches of said two sticks and the outputs of said movement detecting means determine tone color selection information for controlling said musical tone generating apparatus.

19. A musical tone control apparatus for controlling a musical tone to be generated comprising:

(a) two sticks each having a shape which can be held by a player'"'"'s hand;

(b) two switches each mounted on each stick;

(c) two acceleration sensors each equipped within said each stick; and

(d) control means for controlling a tone color of said musical tone based on operating states of said switches and output levels of said acceleration sensors.

20. A musical tone control apparatus for controlling a generating of a musical tone in an musical tone generating apparatus comprising:

(a) a stick which can be held by a player'"'"'s hand;

(b) a plurality of key-on switches mounted on said stick, said plurality of key-on switches being electrically connected in parallel and generating key-on and key-off data in parallel;

(c) detecting means for detecting operating states of said key-on switches in parallel; and

(d) control means for outputting a key-on control signal corresponding to a detecting result of said detecting means to said external musical tone generating apparatus, whereby said key-on control signal controls the external musical tone generating apparatus to start or stop generating said musical tone.

21. A musical tone control apparatus for controlling a musical tone to be generated comprising:

(a) a stick having a shape which can be held by a player'"'"'s hand;

(b) at least two key-on switches each controlling start timing of sounding of said musical tone, said key-on switches being mounted on said stick;

(c) angle detector means for detecting a swinging angle of said stick, said angle detecting means being equipped within said stick; and

(d) control means for controlling a tone pitch of said musical tone based on said swinging angle detected by said angle detector means at every time when one of said key-on switches is depressed, said control means stopping generating said musical tone when all of said key-on switches are released.

22. A musical tone control apparatus for controlling a musical tone to be generated comprising:

(a) a stick having at least a holding portion which can be held by a player'"'"'s hand, and a tip portion having a predetermined length extending beyond said holding portion;

(b) angle detecting means for detecting a swinging angle of said player'"'"'s hand holding said stick, said angle detecting means being equipped within said holding portion of said stick; and

(c) control means for controlling a tone pitch of said musical tone based on said swinging angle detected by said angle detecting means.

23. A musical tone control apparatus according to claim 22 further comprising

switching means for designating one of tone colors at every time when said switching means is depressed, said switching means being equipped within the tip portion of said stick, and said control means controlling a tone color of said musical tone to be identical to the designated tone color.

24. A musical tone control apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said switching means is constructed by a piezoelectric element.

25. A musical tone control apparatus comprising:

(a) angle detecting means providing a plurality of detecting switches each having a contact which is turned on or off in response to an inclination of a center axis of each detecting switch, said detecting switches being spirally arranged by forming angles among said center axes of said detecting switches so as to cancel an effect of a revolution due to a twisting of a player'"'"'s wrist which is caused in a period when a player swings his hand holding said angle detecting means around his shoulder joint in his side direction; and

(b) control signal generating means for generating a control signal for controlling a musical tone generating apparatus based on an output of said angle detecting means.

26. A musical tone control apparatus for controlling a musical tone to be generated comprising:

(a) two cylindrical sticks which can be held by player'"'"'s both hands, a plurality of through holes being formed respectively in each cylindrical stick such that angles are respectively formed between center axes of said through holes and a reference line drawn in a radius direction of an upper or under plane of said cylindrical stick, whereby said center axes of said through holes are spirally arranged with respect to an axis line of said cylindrical stick;

(b) angle detecting means comprising a plurality of detecting switches each inserted into each of said through holes, each detecting switch having a contact which is turned on or off in response to an angle formed between a center axis of said each detecting switch and the plumb line; and

(c) control means for controlling a tone pitch of said musical tone in response to outputs of said detecting switches.

27. A musical tone control apparatus according to claim 26, wherein four through holes are formed within said each cylindrical stick, and said angles being determined as 30 degrees, 75 degrees, 112.5 degrees and 157.5 degrees respectively, whereby said angle detecting means detects a swinging angle of said each cylindrical stick with accuracy by canceling an effect of a revolution due to a twisting of a player'"'"'s wrist which is caused in a period when a player swings his hand holding said cylindrical stick around his shoulder joint in his side direction.

28. A musical tone control apparatus comprising:

(a) holding means equipped with a detector for detecting a movement of a player'"'"'s hand, said holding means providing a holding portion having a shape which can be held by said player'"'"'s hand, said shape of said holding portion being determined such that a mounted direction of said detector can be recognized by a sense of said player'"'"'s hand; and

(b) control signal generating means for generating a control signal for controlling a musical tone generating apparatus based on an output of said detector.

29. A musical tone control apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said shape of said holding portion is determined such that substantially the entire inner surface of said player'"'"'s hand can be fitted with said holding portion.

30. A musical tone control apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said holding portion has a polygon shape.

31. A musical tone control apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said detector is an angle detector for detecting a swinging angle of said player'"'"'s hand.

32. A musical tone control apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said detector is an acceleration sensor for detecting an acceleration applied thereto.

33. A musical tone control apparatus for controlling a musical tone to be generated comprising:

(a) a plurality of sensors each detecting an acceleration applied thereto in a predetermined direction, tone colors being assigned to said sensors respectively;

(b) a stick equipped with said sensors, said stick providing a holding portion which is shaped such that a player can recognize a mounted direction of said sensors with ease;

(c) control means for controlling a tone volume of said musical tone in response to said acceleration detected by said sensors, one tone color among said tone colors being selected in accordance with a swinging direction of said stick, whereby a musical tone having a selected tone color and also having a tone volume corresponding to said acceleration is to be generated.

34. A musical tone control apparatus according to claim 33, wherein said plurality of sensors comprises first and second acceleration sensors equipped within said stick, a cymbal tone and a bass drum tone being respectively assigned to said first and second acceleration sensors, said first acceleration sensor detecting an acceleration in a first direction so as to select said cymbal tone when said player swings said stick in said first direction, and said second acceleration sensor detecting an acceleration in a second direction so as to select said bass drum tone when said player swings said stick in said second direction.

35. A musical tone control apparatus for controlling a generation of a musical tone in a musical tone generating apparatus comprising:

(a) movement detecting means for detecting a movement of a player;

(b) a memory;

(c) a mode switch for selecting one of a play mode and a write mode;

(d) a write switch which is used when a detecting result of said movement detecting means is written in said memory;

(e) writing means for writing said detecting result of said movement detecting means into said memory in response to an operating state of said write switch in said write mode; and

(f) control means for generating musical tone control data based on said detecting result of said movement detecting means and contents of data stored in said memory in said play mode, said musical tone control data being outputted to said musical tone generating apparatus.

36. A musical tone control apparatus for controlling a musical tone to be generated comprising:

(a) detecting means for detecting a movement of a player'"'"'s arm;

(b) mode selecting means for selecting one of a tone pitch setting mode and a play mode;

(c) memory means for storing tone pitches corresponding to detected movement of said player'"'"'s arm when said tone pitch setting mode is selected; and

(d) control means for controlling said musical tone to have a desirable tone pitch among said tone pitches stored in said memory means in response to said movement of said player'"'"'s arm when said play mode is selected.

37. A musical tone control apparatus according to claim 36, wherein said detecting means is an angle detector for detecting a swinging angle of said player'"'"'s arm.

38. A musical tone control apparatus according to claim 37 further comprising an operation means for operating angle boundary values corresponding to respective swinging angles of said player when said tone pitch setting mode is selected, a whole swinging angle of said player'"'"'s arm being divided into a plurality of angle ranges by said angle boundary values, each of predetermined tone pitches being assigned to each of said angle ranges, said musical tone being controlled to have a tone pitch corresponding to said angle range which includes a present swinging angle of said player'"'"'s arm when said play mode is selected.

39. A musical tone control apparatus according to claim 36, wherein said detecting means is a distance measuring device for measuring a distance between a player'"'"'s hand and a predetermined object.

40. A musical tone control apparatus according to claim 39, wherein said distance measuring device includes an ultrasonic transmitter and an ultrasonic receiver, said ultrasonic transmitter transmitting an ultrasonic wave to said predetermined object at a first time so that said ultrasonic wave is reflected by said predetermined object, said ultrasonic receiver receiving reflected ultrasonic wave from said predetermined object at a second time, and said distance between said player'"'"'s hand and said predetermined object being determined based on a time difference between said first time and said second time.

41. A musical tone control apparatus for controlling a generation of a musical tone in a musical tone generating apparatus comprising:

(a) a stick which can be held by a player'"'"'s hand;

(b) a tone color memory for storing tone color information representative of a plurality of tone colors;

(c) at least one push-button switch to be mounted on said stick, wherein the number of said push-button switches is less than the number of said tone colors; and

(d) control means for reading desirable tone color information corresponding to one of said plurality of tone colors selected by an operating state of said push-button switch, from said tone color memory, said control means outputting said desirable tone color information to said musical tone generating apparatus wherein a musical tone having a tone color corresponding to said desirable tone color information is generated, wherein said control means selects one of said plurality of tone colors in accordance with the number of times by which said push-button switch is depressed by the player in a certain period, and reads said desirable tone color information corresponding to said selected tone color from said tone color memory.

42. A musical tone control apparatus for controlling a generation of a musical tone in a musical tone generating apparatus comprising:

(a) a stick which can be held by a player'"'"'s hand;

(b) a tone color memory for storing tone color information representative of a plurality of tone colors;

(c) switching means mounted on said stick and comprising a switch which selects a desirable one tone color among said plurality of tone colors; and

(d) control means for reading desirable tone color information corresponding to one of said plurality of tone colors selected from said tone color memory in accordance with the number of times which said switch is depressed by said player in a certain period, said control means outputting said desirable tone color information to said musical tone generating apparatus wherein a musical tone having a tone color corresponding to said desirable tone color information is to be generated.

43. A musical tone control apparatus for controlling generation of a musical tone in a musical tone generating apparatus comprising:

(a) a stick which can be held by a player'"'"'s hand;

(b) a tone color memory for storing tone color information representative of a plurality of tone colors;

(c) at least one push-button switch mounted on said stick, wherein the number of said push-button switches is less than the number of said tone colors; and

(d) control means, including means for counting the number of times said push-button switch is activated, for reading desired tone color information corresponding to one of said plurality of tone colors selected by the number of times said push-button switch is operated, from said tone color memory, said control means outputting said desirable tone color information to said musical tone generating apparatus wherein a musical tone having a tone color corresponding to said desired tone color information is generated.

44. A musical tone control apparatus for controlling generation of a musical tone in a musical tone generating apparatus comprising:

(a) a stick which can be held by a player'"'"'s hand;

(b) a tone color memory for storing tone color information representative of a plurality of tone colors;

(c) a plurality of push-button switches mounted on said stick, wherein the number of said push-button switches is less than the number of said tone colors; and

(d) control means for reading desired tone color information corresponding to one of said plurality of tone colors selected by the combination of on/off states of said push-button switches, said control means outputting said desirable tone color information to said musical tone generating apparatus wherein a musical tone having a tone color corresponding to said desired tone color information is generated.

45. A musical tone control apparatus for controlling a musical tone to be generated by an external musical tone generating apparatus comprising:

(a) a stick having a shape which can be held by a player'"'"'s hand;

(b) memory means for storing a plurality of tone colors;

(c) selecting means for selecting a tone volume and a tone color of said musical tone, said selecting means further comprising at least one push-button switch, wherein the number of said push-button switches is less than the number of said tone colors; and

(d) control means, including means for counting the number of times said push-button switch is operated, for reading a desired tone color from said memory means selected by the number of times said push-button switch is operated, said control means outputting a control signal corresponding to a desired tone volume designated by said selecting means, whereby a musical tone having a desired tone color and a desired tone volume is generated by said external musical tone generating apparatus.

46. A musical tone control apparatus for controlling a musical tone to be generated by an external musical tone generating apparatus comprising:

(a) a stick having a shape which can be held by a player'"'"'s hand;

(b) memory means for storing a plurality of tone colors;

(c) selecting means for selecting a tone volume and a tone color of said musical tone, said selecting means further comprising a plurality of push-button switches, wherein the number of said push-button switches is less than the number of said tone colors; and

(d) control means for reading a desired tone color, selected by the combination of on/off states of said push-button switches, from said memory means, said control means outputting a control signal corresponding to a desired tone volume designated by said selecting means, whereby a musical tone having said desired tone color and said desired tone volume is generated by said external musical tone generating apparatus.