Moving apparatus and moving apparatus system

• US 7,053,289 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2005
• Issued: 05/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation, Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Inventors: Iwai, Toshio, Asahi, Yasuhiko, Hara, Nobuo, Negoro, Masanori
• Primary Examiner(s): DONELS, JEFFREY
• Application Number:
  US11/041,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20050160902A1
• Time in Patent Office: 491 Days
• Field of Search: 846/00, 455/344, 280/87.042, 280/288.4
• US Class Current: 84/600
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 25/08 Hopping-sticks, e.g. pogo sticks ; Hopping apparatus with a single resilient support devices for balloon jumping A63B5/166
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 17/01 Skateboards A63C17/02 - A63C17/28 take precedence; rolling devices on skis A63C5/035
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 17/012 with a truck, i.e. with steering mechanism comprising an inclined geometrical axis to convert lateral tilting of the board in steering of the wheel axis
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 17/016 with wheels arranged in one track
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 17/26 with special auxiliary arrangements, e.g. illuminating, marking, or push-off devices
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/32 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/351 Environmental parameters, e.g. temperature, ambient light, atmospheric pressure, humidity, used as input for musical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/455 Camera input, e.g. analyzing pictures from a video camera and using the analysis results as control data

Abstract

A skateboard SB has a board 10 that is rotatably provided with a front wheel 25 and rear wheel 26. Disposed on the both sides of the board 10 are speakers 12a, 12b. On the undersurface of the board 10 there are provided a floor sensor 66 having a CCD camera for shooting a floor and a distance sensor 67 for sensing the distance to the floor. A control box 13 disposed on the undersurface of the board 10 is equipped with a computer device and a tone generator. The computer device controls, in accordance with the color and lightness of the floor sensed by the floor sensor 66 and the distance sensed by the distance sensor 67, the generation of musical tone signals by the tone generator and the mode in which the musical tone signals are generated. A moving apparatus constructed as described above enables a player to listen to music that corresponds to changes in external conditions where the moving apparatus is placed, bringing more fun to the player without making the player tired.

Claims

1. A moving apparatus which a human can ride to move, the moving apparatus comprising:

a musical tone signal generating portion for generating a musical tone signal;

an external condition sensing portion for sensing external conditions in which the moving apparatus is placed and which vary with the travel of the moving apparatus, wherein the external condition sensing portion generates a signal including image data representative of the external conditions; and

a generation mode controlling portion for controlling a mode in which the musical tone signal is generated by the musical tone signal generating portion in accordance with the sensed external conditions.

2. A moving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the moving apparatus moves by motor-power or human-power.

3. A moving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the moving apparatus travels on a floor, and the external conditions indicate a state of the floor on which the moving apparatus travels.

5. A moving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the musical tone signal generating portion automatically generates a series of musical tone signals on the basis of a series of performance data, and the generation mode controlling portion changes a mode in which the series of musical tone signals are generated in accordance with the sensed external conditions.

9. A moving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the moving apparatus further includes a movement amount sensing portion for sensing the amount of movement indicative of the movement of the moving apparatus, and the generation mode controlling portion controls the mode in which the musical tone signal is generated by the musical tone signal generating portion in accordance with the sensed amount of the movement in addition to the sensed external conditions.

10. A moving apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the amount of movement of the moving apparatus includes at least one of a steering angle, forward and backward acceleration, lateral acceleration, forward and backward speed, lateral speed, traveling direction, and angle speed of the moving apparatus.

4. A moving apparatus which a human can ride to move, the moving apparatus comprising:

a musical tone signal generating portion for generating a musical tone signal;

an external condition sensing portion for sensing external conditions in which the moving apparatus is placed and which vary with the travel of the moving apparatus; and

a generation mode controlling portion for controlling a mode in which the musical tone signal is generated by the musical tone signal generating portion in accordance with the sensed external conditions;

wherein the moving apparatus travels on a floor and the external conditions indicate a state of the floor on which the moving apparatus travels; and

wherein the state of the floor includes at least one of lightness of the floor, a color of the floor, a pattern of the floor, and a projection and a depression of the floor.

6. A moving apparatus which a human can ride to move, the moving apparatus comprising:

a musical tone signal generating portion for generating a musical tone signal;

an external condition sensing portion for sensing external conditions in which the moving apparatus is placed and which vary with the travel of the moving apparatus; and

a generation mode controlling portion for controlling a mode in which the musical tone signal is generated by the musical tone signal generating portion in accordance with the sensed external conditions;

wherein the musical tone signal generating portion automatically generates a series of musical tone signals on the basis of a series of performance data;

wherein the generation mode controlling portion changes a mode in which the series of musical tone signals are generated in accordance with the sensed external conditions; and

wherein the mode to be changed includes at least one of a tempo of automatic performance, a timing at which a musical tone signal is generated, and switching of the series of performance data.

7. A moving apparatus which a human can ride to move, the moving apparatus comprising:

a musical tone signal generating portion for generating a musical tone signal;

an external condition sensing portion for sensing external conditions in which the moving apparatus is placed and which vary with the travel of the moving apparatus; and

a generation mode controlling portion for controlling a mode in which the musical tone signal is generated by the musical tone signal generating portion in accordance with the sensed external conditions;

wherein the generation mode controlling portion controls, on the basis of the sensed external conditions, a timing at which the musical tone signal generating portion generates the musical tone signal or a musical tone element of the musical tone signal generated by the musical tone signal generating portion.

8. A moving apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the musical tone element includes at least one of a tone pitch of the musical tone signal, a tone color of the musical tone signal, loudness of the musical tone signal and an effect to be added to the musical tone signal.

11. A moving apparatus system having a moving apparatus which a human can ride to move and an electronic musical apparatus which is disposed apart from the moving apparatus and includes a musical tone signal generating portion for generating a musical tone signal, wherein:

the moving apparatus is provided with

an external condition sensing portion for sensing external conditions in which the moving apparatus is placed and which vary with the travel of the moving apparatus, wherein the external condition sensing portion generates a signal containing image data that is indicative of the sensed external conditions, and

a transmitting portion for transmitting the signal indicative of the sensed external conditions; and

the electronic musical apparatus is provided with

a generation mode controlling portion for receiving the signal transmitted from the transmitting portion and controlling, on the basis of the received signal, a mode in which the musical tone signal is generated by the musical tone signal generating portion in accordance with the sensed external conditions.

12. A moving apparatus system according to claim 11, wherein the moving apparatus moves by motor-power or human-power.

13. A moving apparatus system according to claim 11, wherein the moving apparatus travels an a floor, and the external conditions indicate a state of the floor on which the moving apparatus travels.

15. A moving apparatus system according to claim 11, wherein the musical tone signal generating portion automatically generates a series of musical tone signals on the basis of a series of performance data, and the generation mode controlling portion changes a mode in which the series of musical tone signals are generated in accordance with the sensed external conditions.

19. A moving apparatus system according to claim 11, wherein the moving apparatus further includes a movement amount sensing portion for sensing the amount of movement indicative of the movement of the moving apparatus, and the generation mode controlling portion controls the mode in which the musical tone signal is generated by the musical tone signal generating portion in accordance with the sensed amount of the movement in addition to the sensed external conditions.

20. A moving apparatus system according to claim 19, wherein the amount of movement of the moving apparatus includes at least one of a steering angle, forward and backward acceleration, lateral acceleration, forward and backward speed, lateral speed, traveling direction, and angle speed of the moving apparatus.

14. A moving apparatus system having a moving apparatus which a human can ride to move and an electronic musical apparatus which is disposed apart from the moving apparatus and includes a musical tone signal generating portion for generating a musical tone signal, wherein:

the moving apparatus is provided with

an external condition sensing portion for sensing external conditions in which the moving apparatus is placed and which vary with the travel of the moving apparatus and

a transmitting portion for transmitting a signal indicative of the sensed external conditions; and

the electronic musical apparatus is provided with

a generation mode controlling portion for receiving the signal transmitted from the transmitting portion and controlling, on the basis of the received signal, a mode in which the musical tone signal is generated by the musical tone signal generating portion in accordance with the sensed external conditions;

wherein the moving apparatus travels on a floor and he external conditions indicate a state of the floor on which the moving apparatus travels; and

wherein the state of the floor includes at least one of lightness of the floor, a color of the floor, a pattern of the floor, and a projection and a depression of the floor.

16. A moving apparatus system having a moving apparatus which a human can ride to move and an electronic musical apparatus which is disposed apart from the moving apparatus and includes a musical tone signal generating portion for generating a musical tone signal, wherein:

the moving apparatus is provided with

an external condition sensing portion for sensing external conditions in which the moving apparatus is placed and which vary with the travel of the moving apparatus and

a transmitting portion for transmitting a signal indicative of the sensed external conditions; and

the electronic musical apparatus is provided with

a generation mode controlling portion for receiving the signal transmitted from the transmitting portion and controlling, on the basis of the received signal, a mode in which the musical tone signal is generated by the musical tone signal generating portion in accordance with the sensed external conditions;

wherein the musical tone signal generating portion automatically generates a series of musical tone signals on the basis of a series of performance data, and the generation mode controlling portion changes a mode in which the series of musical tone signals are generated in accordance with the external conditions;

wherein the mode to be changed includes at least one of a tempo of automatic performance, a timing at which a musical tone signal is generated, and switching of the series of performance data.

17. A moving apparatus system having a moving apparatus which a human can ride to move and an electronic musical apparatus which is disposed apart from the moving apparatus and includes a musical tone signal generating portion for generating a musical tone signal, wherein:

the moving apparatus is provided with

an external condition sensing portion for sensing external conditions in which the moving apparatus is placed and which vary with the travel of the moving apparatus and

a transmitting portion for transmitting a signal indicative of the sensed external conditions; and

the electronic musical apparatus is provided with

a generation mode controlling portion for receiving the signal transmitted from the transmitting portion and controlling, on the basis of the received signal, a mode in which the musical tone signal is generated by the musical tone signal generating portion in accordance with the sensed external conditions;

wherein the generation mode controlling portion controls, on the basis of the sensed external conditions, a timing at which the musical tone signal generating portion generates the musical tone signal or a musical tone element of the musical tone signal generated by the musical tone signal generating portion.

18. A moving apparatus system according to claim 17, wherein the musical tone element includes at least one of a tone pitch of the musical tone signal, a tone color of the musical tone signal, loudness of the musical tone signal and an effect to be added to the musical tone signal.