Performance apparatus and tone generation method therefor

• US 7,394,010 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2006
• Issued: 07/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Nishibori, Yu, Iwai, Toshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Donovan; Lincoln
• Assistant Examiner(s): Millikin; Andrew R
• Application Number:
  US11/493,739
• Publication Number:
  US 20070022868A1
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• Field of Search: 846/01, 846/02, 846/03, 846/04, 844/64.A, 844/64.R, 847/44, 847/45, 846/22, 846/26
• US Class Current: 84/464.00A
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/06 Circuits for establishing the harmonic content of tones , or other arrangements for changing the tone colour
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/34 Switch arrangements, e.g. keyboards or mechanical switches specially adapted for electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/096 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/161 with 2D or x/y surface coordinates sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/236 representing an active musical staff or tablature, i.e. with key-like position sensing at the expected note positions on the staff
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/295 Switch matrix, e.g. contact array common to several keys, the actuated keys being identified by the rows and columns in contact

Abstract

A Plurality of key switches for tone-generating are arranged two-dimensionally. Mode setting section sets a tone adjusting mode in which the key switches are caused to function as tone-adjusting operators. In the tone adjusting mode, adjustment of a predetermined tone factor (e.g., tone pitch, tone length, tone volume or tone color) is permitted in response to operation of the key switch. For example, once a user moves a finger to change a Y-coordinate position of the key switch in the tone adjusting mode, an amount of the movement, i.e. a difference between Y-coordinates of two or more successively-operated key switches, is detected, and the thus-detected movement amount is set as a value for adjusting a tone volume or the like. All of light-emitting elements located at Y-coordinate positions of the key switches may be illuminated in a line, to allow the user to visually confirm the adjustment and operation.

Claims

1. A performance apparatus comprising:

a plurality of key switches arranged two-dimensionally, each key switch being assigned a tone pitch;

a memory storing tone data corresponding to said plurality of key switches;

a tone generation section that, on the basis of the tone data stored in said memory, generates a tone corresponding to any actuated key switch among said plurality of key switches;

a mode setting section that actuates a tone adjusting mode for causing the key switches to function as tone-adjusting operators for each tone to be generated by said tone generation section; and

a tone adjustment section that adjusts with at least one of the key switches, while the tone adjusting mode is actuated, a predetermined tone factor of each tone to be generated;

a light-emitting element associated with each of said plurality of key switches; and

a light emission control section that controls light emission of the light-emitting elements to illuminate in a line all of the light-emitting elements located at an X- or Y-coordinate position of any actuated key switch for adjusting the predetermined tone factor.

2. The performance apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tone adjustment section adjusts the predetermined tone factor in accordance with a two-dimensional coordinate position of one of the key switches or a difference between two-dimensional coordinate positions of at least two of the key switches.

3. The performance apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined tone factor is any one of tone pitch, tone length, tone volume, or tone color.

4. The performance apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said mode setting section includes a plurality of predetermined control switches for actuating any one tone factor from among the tone pitch, tone length, tone volume, and tone color as the predetermined tone factor.

5. The performance apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mode setting section includes at least one predetermined control switch for actuating the tone adjusting mode.

6. The performance apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tone adjustment section adjusts the predetermined tone factor in accordance with an X- or Y-coordinate position of the at least one key switch.

7. The performance apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tone adjustment section adjusts the predetermined tone factor in accordance with X- or Y-coordinate positions of at least two of the key switches.

8. The performance apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tone adjusting mode has a plurality of tone factors, when one of the tone factors is to be adjusted, said tone adjustment section adjusts the one tone factor in accordance with a difference between X-coordinate positions of at least two of the key switches, and when another one of the tone factors is to be adjusted, said tone adjustment section adjusts the another tone factor in accordance with a difference between Y-coordinate positions of at least two of the key switches.

9. The performance apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light emission control section further controls light emission of the light-emitting elements in response to actuation of the at least one key switch for adjusting the predetermined tone factor.

10. The performance apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a storage section that stores ON/OFF states of said plurality of key switches in correspondence with a desired music performance, and a readout control section that reads out the ON/OFF states of said plurality of key switches from said storage section in response to a reproductive performance instruction, and wherein said tone generation section generates tones corresponding to the key switches designated in accordance with the ON/OFF states read out via said readout control section.

11. A performance apparatus comprising:

a plurality of key switches arranged two-dimensionally;

a memory storing tone data corresponding to said plurality of key switches;

a tone generation section that, on the basis of the tone data stored in said memory, generates a tone corresponding to a key switch actuated among said plurality of key switches;

a mode setting section that actuates a tone adjusting mode for causing the key switches to function as tone-adjusting operators for the tone to be generated by said tone generation section;

a tone adjustment section that adjusts, while the tone adjusting mode is actuated, a predetermined tone factor of the tone with at least one of the key switches;

a light-emitting element associated with each of said plurality of key switches; and

a light emission control section that controls light emission of the light-emitting elements with the at least one key switch,

wherein said tone adjustment section adjusts the predetermined tone factor in accordance with an X- or Y-coordinate position of one of the key switches for adjusting the predetermined tone factor, or in accordance with a difference between X- or Y-coordinate positions of at least two of the key switches for adjusting the predetermined tone factor, and

wherein said light emission control illuminates in a line all of the light-emitting elements located at the X- or Y-coordinate position of each of the key switches actuated for adjusting the predetermined tone factor.

12. A method of generating a tone with a performance apparatus including a plurality of key switches arranged two-dimensionally, each key switch being assigned a tone pitch, a memory storing tone data corresponding to the plurality of key switches, and a light-emitting element associated with each of said plurality of key switches, the method comprising:

a tone generation step of, on the basis of the tone data stored in the memory, generating a tone corresponding to any key switch actuated among the plurality of key switches;

a step of actuating a tone adjusting mode for causing the key switches to function as tone-adjusting operators for each tone to be generated by said tone generation step;

a tone adjustment step of adjusting with at least one of the key switches, while the tone adjusting mode is actuated, a predetermined tone factor of each tone to be generated;

a control step of controlling the light-emitting elements to illuminate in a line all of the light-emitting elements located at an X- or Y-coordinate position of any actuated key switch for adjusting the predetermined tone factor.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said tone adjustment step adjusts the predetermined tone factor in accordance with a two-dimensional coordinate position of one of the key switches actuated or a difference between two-dimensional coordinate positions of at least two of the key switches actuated successively.

14. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the predetermined tone factor is any one of tone pitch, tone length, tone volume, or tone color.

15. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said mode setting step actuates the tone adjusting mode in response to actuation of a predetermined control switch.

16. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the control step further controls light emission of the light-emitting elements with the at least one key switch for adjusting the predetermined tone factor.

17. A computer-readable medium storing a computer program for controlling a performance apparatus including a plurality of key switches arranged two-dimensionally, each key switch being assigned a tone pitch, a memory storing tone data corresponding to the plurality of key switches, and a light-emitting element associated with each of said plurality of key switches the computer program containing:

a tone generation instruction for, on the basis of the tone data stored in the memory, generating a tone corresponding to any key switch actuated among the plurality of key switches;

a setting instruction for actuating a tone adjusting mode for causing the key switches to function as tone-adjusting operators for each tone to be generated by said tone generation instruction;

a tone adjustment instruction for adjusting with at least one of the key switches, while the tone adjusting mode is actuated, a predetermined tone factor of each tone to be generated; and

a control instruction for controlling the light-emitting elements to illuminate in a line all of the light-emitting elements located at an X- or Y-coordinate position of any actuated key switch for adjusting the predetermined tone factor.

18. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 17, wherein said tone adjustment instruction adjusts the predetermined tone factor in accordance with a two-dimensional coordinate position of one of the key switches or a difference between two-dimensional coordinate positions of at least two of the key switches.

19. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 17, wherein the predetermined tone factor is any one of tone pitch, tone length, tone volume, or tone color.

20. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 17, wherein said mode setting instruction actuates the tone adjusting mode in response to actuation of a predetermined control switch.

21. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 17, wherein the control instruction further controls light emission of the light-emitting elements with the at least one key switch for adjusting the predetermined tone factor.