Mixer apparatus and music apparatus capable of communicating with the mixer apparatus

• US 7,684,572 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2002
• Issued: 03/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Ito, Mikio
• Primary Examiner(s): Faulk; Devona E
• Application Number:
  US10/306,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20030121401A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,673 Days
• Field of Search: 381/119, 369/4, 846/25, 846/09, 846/10, 846/60, 455/66, 455137-139, 455/41.3, 455/41.2, 455/3.06, 455/66.1, 700/94
• US Class Current: 381/119
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0083 using wireless transmission, e.g. radio, light, infrared
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/031 File merging MIDI, i.e. merging or mixing a MIDI-like file or stream with a non-MIDI file or stream, e.g. audio or video
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/056 MIDI or other note-oriented file format
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/321 Bluetooth

Abstract

A plurality of music apparatus 10 to 30 such as an electronic musical instrument and a microphone apparatus are connected by wireless to a mixer apparatus 40. A Bluetooth module is adopted as wireless communication means to construct a piconet with mixer apparatus 40 functioning as a master and music apparatus 10 to 30 functioning as slaves. Audio signals and MIDI data from music apparatus 10 to 30 are transmitted by wireless to mixer apparatus 40 through isosynchronous communication procedure using Bluetooth modules 11, 21, 31, 41. In mixer apparatus 40, with regard to the MIDI data, music tone signals based on the MIDI data are produced, whereafter the produced music tone signals and the aforesaid audio signals transmitted by wireless are mixed. Wiring by means of cables between a plurality of music apparatus and a mixer apparatus is abolished, thereby eliminating the cumbersomeness of wiring and the restrictions accompanying the wiring.

Claims

1. A mixer apparatus for inputting audio signals or audio signal producing signals respectively produced in a plurality of music apparatuses and for mixing the input audio signals or audio signals produced on the basis of the input audio signal producing signals, said mixer apparatus comprising:

a wireless communication section capable of wireless communication with said plurality of music apparatuses by allowing said plurality of music apparatuses to function as slaves and allowing said mixer apparatus itself to function as a master, said wireless communication section respectively receiving said audio signals or audio signal producing signals that are transmitted from said plurality of music apparatuses;

a wired input section connected by wire to a different music apparatus other than said plurality of music apparatuses, for wired input of audio signals or audio signal producing signals for producing audio signals that are output from the different music apparatus; and

a mixing section for mixing the audio signals received by said wireless communication section or the audio signals produced on the basis of the audio signal producing signals received by said wireless communication section with the audio signals input by said wired input section or the audio signals produced on the basis of the audio signal producing signals input by said wired input section,

wherein said wireless communication section respectively issues requests to said plurality of music apparatuses for transmittance of said audio signals or audio signal producing signals, and respectively receives said audio signals or audio signal producing signals that are transmitted from said plurality of music apparatuses in response to said requests for transmittance.

2. The mixer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said wireless communication section receives said audio signals or audio signal producing signals from said plurality of music apparatuses by an isochronous communication procedure.

3. The mixer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said wireless communication section transmits the audio signals mixed in said mixing section to said plurality of music apparatuses.

4. The mixer apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said wireless communication section transmits the audio signals mixed in said mixing section to said plurality of music apparatuses by a broadcast communication procedure.

5. The mixer apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a communication condition setting section for setting conditions of communication with said plurality of music apparatuses in a state in which a wireless connection is established between said mixer apparatus and said plurality of music apparatuses.

6. The mixer apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an audio signal generating section for generating audio signals independently from said plurality of music apparatuses, wherein said mixing section also mixes the audio signals generated by said audio signal generating section, in addition to the audio signals received by said wireless communication section or the audio signals produced on the basis of the audio signal producing signals received by said wireless communication section.

7. A mixer apparatus comprising:

a wireless communication section for;

receiving by wireless audio signals or audio signal producing signals from a plurality of first music apparatuses; and

receiving by wireless other audio signals or other audio signal producing signals from a second music apparatus, and

a mixing section for mixing the received audio signals or audio signals produced on the basis of the received audio signal producing signals from the plurality of first music apparatuses,

wherein said mixing section is configured to, upon entry of the second music apparatus within communication range of the mixer apparatus while the mixing section is performing said mixing of the received audio signals or the audio signals produced on the basis of the received audio signal producing signals, initiate mixing of the received other audio signals or other audio signals produced on the basis of the other audio signal producing signals with the received audio signals or the audio signals produced on the basis of the received audio signal producing signals from the plurality of first apparatuses.

8. A computer readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program for execution at a mixer apparatus, the mixer apparatus communicating with a plurality of music apparatuses wirelessly and connecting a different music apparatus other than said plurality of music apparatuses by wire, said computer-executable program that, when executed by a computer, causes the mixer apparatus to perform the steps of:

causing the plurality of music apparatuses to function as slaves and the mixer apparatus to function as a master;

issuing requests to the plurality of music apparatuses for transmittance of audio signals or audio signal producing signals;

receiving audio signals or audio signal producing signals for producing audio signals that are transmitted wirelessly from the plurality of music apparatuses in response to said requests for transmittance;

inputting audio signals or audio signal producing signals for producing audio signals from the different music apparatus; and

mixing the audio signals received by said receiving step or the audio signals produced on the basis of the audio signal producing signals received by said receiving step with the audio signals input by the inputting step or the audio signals produced on the basis of the audio signal producing signals input by the inputting step.