Electronic keyboard instrument for playing music from stored melody and accompaniment tone data

• US 5,696,344 A
• Filed: 12/28/1995
• Issued: 12/09/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kawai Gakki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kawai Gakki Seisakusho
• Inventors: Fujimoto, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoop, Jr., William M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DONELS, JEFFREY
• Application Number:
  US08/579,217
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 84/609, 84/610, 84/634
• US Class Current: 84/609
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0041 in coded form
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/36 Accompaniment arrangements

Abstract

An electronic keyboard instrument which functions to afford an unskilled player the sensation of being a skilled player has a plurality of data storage areas for defining pattern data that correspond to a plurality of tone ranges into which a tone range on a keyboard is divided, and for independently storing the pattern data so defined. A plurality of data readers read corresponding pattern data from the data storage areas, wherein, when keys that belong to the tone ranges are depressed, the pattern data that correspond to the tone ranges are read one at a time from whichever of the data storage areas is pertinent.

Claims

1. An electronic keyboard instrument, comprising:

a plurality of data storage means for defining pattern data that correspond to a plurality of tone ranges into which a tone range on a keyboard is divided, and for storing said pattern data that are defined independently wherein said pattern data are divided into sets for every measure block or for every tone block, and are correlated for each other when stored in said data storage means; and

a plurality of data reading means for reading corresponding pattern data from said data storage means, wherein, when keys that belong to said tone ranges are depressed, said pattern data that correspond to said tone ranges are read one at a time from whichever of said data storage means is pertinent.

2. An electronic keyboard instrument according to claim 1, further comprising:

key count means for counting said pattern data, which are read from said data storage means, for each measure block or for each tone block of said pattern data for each of said tone ranges; and

a decision means for detecting a change of said measure block or of said tone block when said measure block or said tone block at a reference pattern data read position is to be changed, for finding a reading position for succeeding data or another pattern data, and for adjusting said position when said reference pattern data reading position and said reading position for said succeeding data are shifted.

3. An electronic keyboard instrument according to claim 2, further comprising an instruction means for instructing the reading of said reference pattern data.

4. An electronic keyboard instrument according to claim 2, further comprising a head read means for selecting and reading an arbitrary measure block or a tone block from each of said pattern data sets that are stored in said data storage means, wherein said decision means permits reading a predetermined measure block or tone block in consonance with a set value that is selected by said head read means.

5. An electronic keyboard instrument according to claim 1, wherein said pattern data for a plurality of musical pieces are stored in said data storage means, wherein a desired musical piece is selected by music select means, and wherein interrupt means determines a tone generation start position for pattern data for said desired musical piece.

6. An electronic keyboard instrument according to claim 1, wherein said tone range of said keyboard is divided into a high tone range and a low tone range.

7. An electronic keyboard instrument according to claim 1, wherein said pattern data are melody tone data and accompaniment tone data.