Musical tone control apparatus employing handheld stick and leg sensor

• US 5,192,823 A
• Filed: 10/04/1989
• Issued: 03/09/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Suzuki, Hideo, Sakama, Masao
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoop, Jr., William M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DONELS, JEFFREY
• Application Number:
  US07/417,788
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 84/477 B, 84/484, 84/600, 84/622-625, 84/644-645, 84/659-661, 84/670, 84/692-700, 84/723, 84/735, 84/736, 84/711, 84/738, 84/718 , 84/730, 84/DIG. 7, 84/12, 128/779
• US Class Current: 84/600
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/00 Details of electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/32 Constructional details

Abstract

A musical tone control apparatus includes at least one stick to be held by a person'"'"'s hand and at least one detector to be attached to a person'"'"'s leg. The stick and detector are respectively equipped with sensors each detecting a physical parameter accompanied with a spatial displacement thereof. Preferably, the sensor is constructed by an acceleration sensor for detecting an acceleration as the physical parameter. Based on detection results of the sensors, a generation of a muscial tone is controlled when the stick and detector are swung with the swinging motions of the person'"'"'s arm and leg. In addition, a switch is provided to the stick, by which a tone color of the musical tone to be generated is controlled in response to an operation of this switch. Preferably, the musical tone control apparatus can provide two sticks to be held by both hands and two detectors to be attached to both legs.

Claims

1. A musical tone control apparatus comprising:

(a) a stick having a shape which can be held by a person'"'"'s hand, said stick being provided with a first sensor and at least one switch, said first sensor detecting a physical parameter accompanied with a spatial displacement of said stick to be moved with a free motion of a person'"'"'s arm;

(b) detecting means to be mounted to a person'"'"'s leg, said detecting means being provided with a second sensor for detecting a physical parameter accompanied with a spatial displacement of said detecting means in any of plural directions moved with a free ranging motion of the person'"'"'s leg;

(c) musical tone generation control means for generating first and second musical tone generation control signals for controlling generation of musical tones which are respectively assigned to said stick and said detecting means based on detection results of said first and second sensors; and

(d) tone control means for generating a tone color control signal for independently controlling tone colors of the musical tones, whose generation are controlled by said first and second musical tone generation control signals, in response to an operation of said switch.

3. A musical tone control apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 wherein each of said first and second sensors is constructed by an acceleration sensor which detects an acceleration as said physical parameter.

4. A musical tone control apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 wherein at least one of said musical tones is a percussive tone corresponding to a percussion instrument.

6. A musical tone control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said tone color control means generates tone color control signals which respectively and simultaneously control tone controls of said musical tones in response to an operation of said switch.

7. A musical tone control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said tone color control means sets tone colors which number is larger than the number of said switches, so that said tone color control means controls the tone colors of said musical tones.

2. A musical tone control apparatus comprising:

(a) a pair of sticks each having a shape which can be held by a person'"'"'s hand, each of said sticks being provided with a first sensor and at least one switch, said first sensor detecting a physical parameter accompanied with a spatial displacement of said stick to be moved within a motion of a person'"'"'s arm;

(b) a pair of detecting means each mounted to a person'"'"'s leg, each of said detecting means being provided with a second sensor for detecting a physical parameter accompanied with a spatial displacement of said detecting means to be moved with a motion of the person'"'"'s leg;

(c) musical tone generation control means for generating first through fourth musical tone generation control signals each controlling generation of a musical tone based on each of detection results of said first and second sensors; and

(d) toner color control means for generating a tone color control signal for independently controlling tone colors of said first through fourth musical tones whose generation are controlled by said first through fourth musical tone generation control signals in response to a combination of operations of said switches which are provided to said sticks.

8. A musical tone control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said tone color control means sets tone colors which number is larger than the number of said switches, so that said tone color control means controls the tone colors of said musical tones.

5. A musical tone control apparatus comprising:

(a) a stick having a shape which can be held by a person'"'"'s hand, said stick being provided with a first acceleration sensor and at least one switch, said first acceleration sensor detecting an acceleration applied to said stick to be moved with a free ranging motion of a person'"'"'s arm;

(b) detecting means to be mounted to a person'"'"'s leg, said detecting means being provided with a second acceleration sensor for detecting an acceleration applied to said detecting means to be moved in any of plural directions with a free ranging motion of the person'"'"'s leg;

(c) means for generating a first key-on signal when the acceleration detected by said first acceleration sensor exceeds over a first predetermined value and a second key-on signal when the acceleration detected by said second acceleration sensor exceeds over a second predetermined value, wherein said first predetermined value is set different from said second predetermined value;

(d) musical tone generation means for generating a first musical tone in response to said first key-on signal and a second musical tone in response to said second key-on signal; and

(e) tone color control means for independently controlling the tone colors of said first and second musical tones in response to an operation of said switch,

whereby the musical tone having a desirable tone color is generated in accordance with said key-on signal.