Electronic music apparatus with data loading assist

• US 7,772,477 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2006
• Issued: 08/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Okamoto, Tetsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Donels; Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Millikin; Andrew R
• Application Number:
  US11/375,664
• Publication Number:
  US 20060210956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,610 Days
• Field of Search: 846/01, 846/15, 715/810, 715/824, 715/835, 707/1, 707/3, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 84/601
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/145 Sound library, i.e. involving the specific use of a musical database as a sound bank or wavetable; indexing, interfacing, protocols or processing therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/185 Error prevention, detection or correction in files or streams for electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 7/02 in which amplitudes at successive sample points of a tone waveform are stored in one or more memories

Abstract

An electronic music apparatus has a sound generator for generating a music sound signal according to music data and a display device for displaying information associated with music data. In the electronic music apparatus, a storage medium stores a plurality of music data files, each being written with music data for use in generating the music sound signal. An information retention section retains file information for use in displaying a name or an icon of the respective music data. A reading command section issues a command of reading out a target music data file from the storage medium. A display control section controls the display device when the target music data file is successfully read out, for displaying the name and the icon of the music data written in the read target music data file based on the file information, and controls the display device when the target music data file is failed to be read, for displaying the name and the icon of the music data in a state different from the name and the icon displayed when the target music data file is successfully read out.

Claims

1. An electronic music apparatus comprising:

a sound generator for generating a music sound signal according to music data, which is voice data configured for controlling a timbre of the music sound signal;

a display device for displaying information associated with the music data;

a storage medium that stores a plurality of music data files, each file being written with the music data for generating the music sound signal, the music data file having a file name containing a name of the music data and an icon ID identifying an icon;

an information retention section that retains file information, which is created based on the file names and storage locations of the plurality of the music data files, the file information containing the name and the icon ID of each music data file based on the file name, and containing the storage location of each music data file;

a reading command section that issues a command of reading a target music data file among the plurality of the music data files from the storage medium according to the file information;

a display control section that generates display data representing the name of the music data and an image of the icon based on the icon ID provided by the file information of the target music data file and that controls the display device, when the target music data file is successfully read, to display the name and the icon associated with the successfully read target music data file based on the display data, and that controls the display device, when the target music data file is unsuccessfully read, to display the name and the icon associated with the unsuccessfully read target music data file differently from the name and the icon associated with the successfully read target music data file; and

selection switches provided in correspondence to the names and the icons of the music data files displayed on the display device, the selection switches including one selection switch corresponding to a music data file successfully read from the storage medium and another selection switch corresponding to a music data file unsuccessfully read from the storage medium,

wherein when the target music data file is unsuccessfully read, the display control section modifies the display data, while maintaining the file information, to change the name associated with the unsuccessfully read target music data file to a new name containing the original name associated with the target music data file plus at least the characters “

not found”

to distinguish from the name associated with the successfully read target music data file, and to change the icon associated with the unsuccessfully read target music data file to a predetermined icon that is different from the icon associated with the successfully read target music data file and that indicates that the target music data file is not found, and

wherein the display control section controls the display device to display an overview that displays the names and the icons associated with the plurality of the music data files, including the new name and the icon associated with each unsuccessfully read music data file, in a same display window of the display device such that the new name and the icon associated with each unsuccessfully read music data file is readily recognizable,

wherein when the one selection switch is operated, voice data contained in the music data file corresponding to the one selection switch is set to the sound generator for controlling the timbre of the music sound signal, and

wherein when the another selection switch is operated, no music data file is selected and the timbre of the music sound signal generated by the sound generator is not changed.

2. The electronic music apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the read command section issues another command for reading again the target music data file from the storage medium when the music data file is unsuccessfully read, and the display control section controls the display device when the target music data file is successfully read in response to said another command, for displaying the name and the icon based on the file information.

3. The electronic music apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage medium stores path information indicating the path of each of the music data files.

4. A method of loading a music data file into an electronic music apparatus having a sound generator for generating a music sound signal according to music data, which is voice data configured for controlling a timbre of the music sound signal, a display device for displaying information associated with the music data, from a storage medium that stores a plurality of music data files, each file being written with music data for generating the music sound signal, the music data file having a file name containing a name of the music data and an icon ID identifying an icon, and selection switches provided in correspondence to the names and the icons of the music data files displayed on the display device, the selection switches including one selection switch corresponding to a music data file successfully read from the storage medium and another selection switch corresponding to a music data file unsuccessfully read from the storage medium, the method comprising:

a file information retaining step of retaining file information, which is created based on the file names and storage locations of the plurality of the music data files, the file information containing the name and the icon ID of each music data file based on the file name, and containing the storage location of each music data file;

a command issuing step of issuing a command of reading a target music data file among the plurality of the music data files from the storage medium according to the file information;

a display device controlling step of generating display data representing the name of the music data file and an image of the icon based on the icon ID provided by the file information of the target music data and controlling the display device, when the target music data file is successfully read, to display the name and the icon associated with the successfully read target music data file based on the display data,

wherein when the target music data file is unsuccessfully read, the display device controlling step controls the display device to display the name and the icon associated with the unsuccessfully read target music data file differently from the name and the icon associated with the successfully read target music data file,

wherein when the target music data file is unsuccessfully read, the display device controlling step modifies the display data, while maintaining the file information, to change the name associated with the unsuccessfully read target music data file to a new name containing the original name associated with the target music data file plus at least the additional characters “

not found”

to distinguish from the name associated with the successfully read target music data file, and to change the icon associated with the unsuccessfully read target music data to a predetermined icon that is different from the icon associated with the successfully read target music data file and that indicates that the target music data file is not found, and

wherein the display device controlling step controls the display device to display an overview that displays the names and the icons of the plurality of the music data files, including the new name and the icon associated with each unsuccessfully read music data file, in a same display window of the display device such that the new name and the icon associated with each unsuccessfully read music data file is readily recognizable;

a sound setting step of setting voice data contained in the music data file corresponding to the one selection switch to the sound generator for controlling the timbre of the music sound signal when the one selection switch is operated; and

a selecting step of selecting no music data file and not selecting the timbre of the music sound signal generated by the sound generator when the another selection switch is operated.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein path information indicating the path of each of the music data files is stored in the storage medium.

6. A computer-readable medium storing a computer program for controlling an electronic music apparatus having a processor, a sound generator for generating a music sound signal according to music data, which is voice data configured for controlling a timbre of the music sound signal, a display device for displaying information associated with the music data, a storage medium that stores a plurality of music data files, each file being written with music data for generating the music sound signal, the music data file having a file name containing a name of the music data and an icon ID identifying an icon, and selection switches provided in correspondence to the names and the icons of the music data files displayed on the display device, the selection switches including one selection switch corresponding to a music data file successfully read from the storage medium and another selection switch corresponding to a music data file unsuccessfully read from the storage medium, the computer program being executable by the processor and containing:

a file information retaining instruction for retaining file information, which is created based on the file names and storage locations of the plurality of the music data files, the file information containing the name and the icon ID of each music data file based on the file name, and containing the storage location of each music data file;

a command issuing instruction for issuing a command of reading a target music data file among the plurality of the music data files from the storage medium according to the file information;

a display device controlling instruction for generating display data representing the name of the music data and an image of the icon based on the icon ID provided by the file information of the target music data file and controlling the display device, when the target music data file is successfully read, to display the name and the icon associated with the successfully read target music data file based on the display data,

wherein when the target music data file is unsuccessfully read, the display device controlling instruction controls the display device to display the name and the icon associated with the unsuccessfully read target music data file differently from the name and the icon associated with the successfully read target music data file,

wherein when the target music data file is unsuccessfully read, the display device controlling instruction modifies the display data, while maintaining the file information, to change the name associated with the unsuccessfully read target music data file to a new name containing the original name associated with the target music data file plus at least the additional characters “

not found”

to distinguish from the name associated with the successfully read target music data file, and to change the icon associated with the unsuccessfully read target music data to a predetermined icon that is different from the icon associated with the successfully read target music data and that indicates that the target music data file is not found, and

wherein the display device controlling instruction controls the display device to display an overview that displays the names and the icons of the plurality of the music data files, including the new name and the icon associated with each unsuccessfully read music data file, in a same display window of the display device such that the new name and the icon associated with each unsuccessfully read music data file is readily recognizable;

a sound setting instructions for setting voice data contained in the music data file corresponding to the one selection switch to the sound generator for controlling the timbre of the music sound signal when the one selection switch is operated; and

a selecting instruction for selecting no music data file and not selecting the timbre of the music sound signal generated by the sound generator when the another selection switch is operated.

7. The computer-readable medium according to claim 6, wherein path information indicating the path of each of the music data files is stored in the storage medium.