Instruction input device for electronic musical instrument

• US 6,534,699 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2002
• Issued: 03/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kawai Gakki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kawai Gakki Seisakusho
• Inventors: Wakuda, Sadamoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Donels, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US10/041,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20020092410A1
• Time in Patent Office: 434 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 178/18.01, 846/00, 844/77.R, 846/15, 846/53
• US Class Current: 84/477.00R
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/02 Boards or like means for providing an indication of notes

Abstract

A variety of instructions are inputted through different input modes on a single touch panel. Calculator 22 calculates the coordinates of the contact point on the touch panel 91. Area table 24 has a flag assigned to each area in each image for indicating that the segment is a continuous press input area. Area identifier 25 examines the area table 24 whether the contact point on the panel is in the continuous or the instant touch input area. Examined area attribute is saved in an input mode storage 26. When receiving the mode data from the storage 26 and the coordinates, a screen controller 20 switches the image to another or updates the settings and graphic item in the image. In response to the mode data of the storage 26 and the coordinate data, a parameter setting 27 modifies the parameters of the envelope or effect.

Claims

1. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

a touch input device capable of receiving an instruction through touching for setting parameters used to generate a musical sound, said touch input device comprising;

a touch panel having a first input region for producing a first signal used to set a first parameter based on a duration of a touch applied on said first input region, and a second input region for producing a second signal used to set a second parameter each time the touch is applied on said second input region regardless of the duration of the touch.

2. The electronic musical instrument of claim 1, wherein the touch panel is capable of displaying a plurality of screen images, said touch panel comprising region attribute storage means for storing attributes corresponding to each of the screen images, wherein at least one of said attributes indicates whether a region on the touch panel corresponding to the screen image is the first input region or the second input region.

3. The electronic musical instrument of claim 2, further comprising:

coordinate detecting means for detecting coordinates of a touch position on the touch panel;

means for identifying whether the touch position is in the first input region or in the second input region by comparing the coordinates of the touch position with the coordinates corresponding to the first and second input regions;

means for determining the attributes of the region that has been touched to provide the instruction; and

means for setting the parameters in accordance with the determined attributes of said region.

4. The electronic musical instrument of claim 3, wherein said coordinate detecting means is capable of outputting the coordinates continuously as the touch position is moved in the first input region.

5. The electronic musical instrument of claim 1, wherein the parameters are used to provide variation to a tone, volume and timbre of the musical sound.

6. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

a touch input device capable of receiving an instruction through touching for setting parameters used to generate a musical sound, said touch input device comprising;

a touch panel having a first input region for producing a first signal used to set a first parameter based on a distance between a position of a touch applied on said first input region and the position of a previous touch applied on said first input region, and a second input region for producing a second signal used to set a second parameter each time the touch is applied on said second input region regardless of the duration of the touch.

7. The electronic musical instrument of claim 6, wherein the touch panel is capable of displaying a plurality of screen images, said touch panel comprising region attribute storage means for storing attributes corresponding to each of the screen images, wherein at least one of said attributes indicates whether a region on the touch panel corresponding to the screen image is the first input region or the second input region.

8. The electronic musical instrument of claim 7, further comprising:

coordinate detecting means for detecting coordinates of a touch position on the touch panel;

means for identifying whether the touch position is in the first input region or in the second input region by comparing the coordinates of the touch position with the coordinates corresponding to the first and second input regions;

means for determining the attributes of the region that has been touched to provide the instruction; and

means for setting the parameters in accordance with the determined attributes of said region.

9. The electronic musical instrument of claim 8, wherein said coordinate detecting means is capable of outputting the coordinates continuously as the touch position is moved in the first input region.

10. The electronic musical instrument of claim 6, wherein the parameters are used to provide variation to a tone, volume and timbre of the musical sound.

11. A method of providing at least two instructions to an electronic musical instrument through touching a touch panel having a first input region and a second input region, said two instructions to be processed in different manners to set parameters used to generate a musical sound, said method comprising:

applying a touch on the touch panel;

producing a first signal used to set a first parameter based on a duration of the touch applied on the first input region of the touch panel; and

producing a second signal used to set a second parameter each time the touch is applied on the second input region of the touch panel regardless of the duration of the touch.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the touch panel is capable of displaying a plurality of screen images, said touch panel comprising region attribute storage means for storing attributes corresponding to each of the screen images, wherein at least one of said attributes indicates whether a region on the touch panel corresponding to the screen image is the first input region or the second input region.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising detecting coordinates of a touch position on the touch panel.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein each of producing the first signal and producing the second signal comprises:

identifying whether the touch position is in the first input region or in the second input region by comparing the coordinates of the touch position with the coordinates corresponding to the first and second input regions;

determining the attributes of the region that has been touched to provide the instruction; and

setting at least one of the parameters in accordance with the determined attributes of said region.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising outputting the coordinates as the touch position is moved in the first input region.

16. A method of providing at least two instructions to an electronic musical instrument through touching a touch panel having a first input region and a second input region, said two instructions to be processed in different manners to set parameters used to generate a musical sound, said method comprising:

applying a touch on the touch panel;

producing a first signal used to set a first parameter based on a distance between a position of a touch applied on said first input region and the position of a previous touch applied on said first input region; and

producing a second signal used to set a second parameter each time the touch is applied on the second input region of the touch panel regardless of the duration of the touch.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the touch panel is capable of displaying a plurality of screen images, said touch panel comprising region attribute storage means for storing attributes corresponding to each of the screen images, wherein at least one of said attributes indicates whether a region on the touch panel corresponding to the screen image is the first input region or the second input region.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising detecting coordinates of a touch position on the touch panel.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein each of producing the first signal and producing the second signal comprises:

identifying whether the touch position is in the first input region or in the second input region by comparing the coordinates of the touch position with the coordinates corresponding to the first and second input regions;

determining the attributes of the region that has been touched to provide the instruction; and

setting at least one of the parameters in accordance with the determined attributes of said region.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising outputting the coordinates as the touch position is moved in the first input region.