Keyboard instrument with the display device employing fingering guide

• US 6,008,783 A
• Filed: 05/23/1997
• Issued: 12/28/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kawai Musical Instruments Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Kawai Musical Instruments Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Kinpara, Masahito, Kitagawa, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala, Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEWIS, DAVID LEE
• Application Number:
  US08/862,197
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 345/83, 345/39, 84/478, 84/477, 84/470, 84/601, 84/658
• US Class Current: 345/39
• CPC Class Codes: A63J 17/00 Apparatus for performing colour-music
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/003 with indication of the keys or strings to be played on instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/04 with sound emitters
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/08 Practice keyboards for teaching typing G09B13/02
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0016 Means for indicating which keys, frets or strings are to be actuated, e.g. using lights or leds
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/056 Hand or finger indicator, e.g. for indicating which hand or which specific finger should be used
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/066 Colour, i.e. indications with two or more different colours
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/311 MIDI transmission G10H2240/056 takes precedence

Abstract

A display device displaying a plurality of information sets with a simple structure, and a keyboard instrument that has a key guide device including such a display device. The display is driven at cycles shorter than those discernible by human beings, and the time ratio of ON period to OFF period for the display is changed based on control data. More specifically, the ON state and OFF state are inverted each drive cycle, or the number of cycles during which the display is in ON or OFF state can selected, or the drive cycles are cyclically changed to turn ON the display means only in a designated cycle. In this manner, the luminance of and the hues of the display can be changed relative to the continuous lighting, and a plurality of information sets can be displayed based on this change. This display device may be employed as a fingering guide display device for a keyboard instrument, and position data for keys to be depressed and other playing guide information are displayed at the same time.

Claims

1. A display device for use with a keyboard instrument comprising:

display means employing light emission, the display means corresponding to keys on a keyboard instrument;

drive means for turning on/off the display means; and

control means being responsive to a display instruction which sets a display time period for a note within a musical piece and to a light emission characteristic instruction which designates a light emission characteristic of the display means that is decided based on a time ratio of an ON period to an OFF period;

wherein the control means causes the drive means to turn on and off the display means a plurality of times during the display time period for a note according to the time ratio corresponding to the light emission characteristic decided.

2. A display device according to claim 1 wherein the control means supplying the drive means with a control signal for causing the display means be in an ON state or an OFF state for a first predetermined number n of display cycles during a second predetermined number N (N≧

n) of display cycles, and the n and N being natural number.

3. A display device according to claim 2 wherein the second number N of display cycles are all different from each other in duration time.

4. A display device according to claim 1 wherein the light emission characteristic is at least one of hue, luminance, tint, and cast.

5. A display device according to claim 1, wherein any OFF period between two successive ON periods is set to be short enough for human eyes not to discern flicker of light emission.

6. A display device according to claim 1 wherein the display means comprises a plurality of light emitting elements with colors different from each other, and the drive means is capable of independently driving each of the light emitting elements.

7. A display device according to claim 1 wherein the display means comprises an LED device.

18. The display device of claim 1, wherein the time ratio of the ON period to the OFF period is less than 100%.

8. A keyboard instrument comprising:

a keyboard;

display means including a plurality of light emitting elements respectively corresponding to a plurality of keys on the keyboard and employing light emission;

drive means for turning on/off the display means; and

control means being responsive to a display instruction which sets a display time period for a note within a musical piece and to a light emission characteristic instruction which designates a light emission characteristic of the display means that is decided based on a time ratio of an ON period to an OFF period;

wherein the control means allocates differing time ratios of ON periods to OFF periods to the display means to cause the drive means to turn on and off the display means a plurality of times during the display time period for a note according to the time ratios corresponding to the light emission characteristic decided and the differing time ratios allocated, so that position data for a key to be depressed and at least one set of another playing guide information are displayed at the same time with light emission characteristics different from each other.

9. A keyboard instrument according to claim 8 wherein other playing guide information including at least one of fingering data and touch data.

10. A keyboard instrument according to claim 8 wherein the control means supplying the drive means with a control signal for causing the display means be in one of an ON state and an OFF state for a first predetermined number n of display cycles during a second predetermined number N (N≧

n) of display cycles, and the n and N being natural numbers.

11. A keyboard instrument according to claim 8 wherein the display means is continuously turned on to show the position data for a key to be depressed by setting the time ratio for the ON period to 100% and the display means is intermittently turned on to show said other playing guide information by setting the time ratio for the ON period to be less than 100%.

12. A keyboard instrument according to claim 8 wherein the display means comprises a plurality of light emitting elements with colors different from each other, and the drive means is capable of independently driving each of the light emitting elements.

13. A keyboard instrument according to claim 8 wherein the light emission characteristic is at least one of hue, luminance, tint, and cast.

14. A keyboard instrument according to claim 10 wherein the second number N of display cycles are all different from each other in duration time.

15. A display device comprising:

light emitting display means that includes a plurality of light emitting elements for emitting different colored lights;

drive means for independently driving said light emitting elements that are selected; and

control means for controlling said drive means so that, in consonance with a light emission characteristic instruction, a current is supplied to at least one of the light emitting elements and the current has a magnitude set to one of a plurality of predetermined values;

wherein the control means, being responsive to a display instruction which sets a display time period for a note within a musical piece and to a light emission characteristic instruction which designates a light emission characteristic of the light emitting display means that is decided based on a time ratio of an ON period to an OFF period, causes the drive means to turn on and off the light emitting display means a plurality of times during the display time period for a note according to the time ratio corresponding to the light emission characteristic decided.

16. A keyboard instrument comprising:

light emitting display means, individually provided for corresponding to a plurality of keys on a keyboard, that includes a plurality of light emitting elements for emitting different colored lights;

drive means for independently driving said light emitting elements that are selected; and

control means for controlling said drive means so that, in consonance with a light emission characteristic instruction, a current is supplied to at least one of the light emitting elements and the current has a magnitude set to one of a plurality of predetermined values,

wherein the position data of the keys to be depressed is provided as a light emission characteristic instruction and at least one set of another play guide data is provided as a different light emission characteristic instruction; and

wherein the control means, being responsive to a display instruction which sets a display time period for a note within a musical piece and to a light emission characteristic instruction which designates a light emission characteristic of the display means that is decided based on a time ratio of an ON period to an OFF period, causes the drive means to turn on and off the display means a plurality of times during the display time period for a note according to the time ratio corresponding to the light emission characteristic decided.

17. A keyboard instrument according to claim 16, wherein either fingering data or touch data, at least, are included in said other play guide data.

19. The keyboard instrument of claim 16, wherein each key of the plurality of keys has the plurality of light emitting elements for emitting different colored lights, wherein a first light emitting element emits a first colored light, a second light emitting element emits a second colored light different from the first and the first and second light emitting elements together emit a third colored light different from the first and second colored lights.