Accessory device, electronic musical instrument and teaching apparatus

• US 7,848,699 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2007
• Issued: 12/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Nakamura, Yoshinari, Ohshima, Osamu, Nishida, Kenichi, Sakurada, Shinya, Fukada, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): MOSSER, KATHLEEN MICHELE
• Application Number:
  US11/690,274
• Publication Number:
  US 20070243513A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• Field of Search: 434/307.R, 434/307.A, 434/319, 846/00, 844/70.R, 844/77.R, 844/78, 844/831, 844/832, 844/85.R
• US Class Current: 434/307.00R
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F

Abstract

In an electronic musical instrument, an interface part obtains user information from a dedicated accessory device logically connected to the electronic musical instrument. An access part accesses a server using the user information obtained through the interface part. A character information acquisition part obtains character information which represents a character and which corresponds to the user information, from the server or the dedicated accessory device. A lesson information acquisition part obtains, from the server, lesson information which represents a lesson work to be practiced. A control part performs control operation to display the character created based on the character information obtained by the character information acquisition part while the electronic musical instrument is logically connected to the dedicated accessory device through the interface part, and to display the lesson information when the lesson information has been obtained by the lesson information acquisition part.

Claims

1. An electronic musical system comprising:

a server that stores at least musical lesson information;

an electronic musical instrument logically connectable to the server; and

a portable accessory device that stores at least user information of a user of the portable accessory device and logically connectable to the electronic musical instrument,

wherein one of the server or the portable accessory device stores character information representing a character associated with the user, and

wherein the electronic musical instrument comprises;

an interface part that obtains at least the user information from the portable accessory device while the portable accessory device is logically connected to the electronic musical instrument;

an access part that accesses the server using the user information from the portable accessory device obtained through the interface part;

a character information acquisition part that obtains the character information from the server based on the user information or the portable accessory device;

a lesson information acquisition part that obtains, from the server, the musical lesson information, which represents a musical lesson work to be practiced based on the user information;

a display device; and

a control part that performs control operation to display on the display device, the character associated with the user based on the character information obtained by the character information acquisition part, and the musical lesson information obtained by the musical lesson information acquisition part, while the portable accessory device is logically connected to the electronic musical instrument through the interface part.

2. The electronic musical instrument according to claim 1, further comprising:

a reward information acquisition part that obtains, from the server, reward information representing a reward for practicing the musical lesson work based on the user information;

a change part that changes the obtained character information based on the reward information obtained by the reward information acquisition part; and

an updating part that updates the character information based on the user information in accordance with the changed character information,

wherein the control part performs the control operation to display the character based on the changed character information on the display device.

3. The electronic musical instrument according to claim 1, further comprising:

a recording part that records a performance operation of the electronic musical instrument performed for the musical lesson work while the electronic musical instrument is logically connected to the portable accessory device; and

a change part that changes practice record information, which is stored in the server, associated with the user information, based on a record of the performance operation recorded by the recording part.

4. The electronic musical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the interface part comprises a contactless interface of a proximity type or a neighborhood type, which logically connects the portable accessory device when the portable accessory device is brought into proximity or neighborhood of the contactless interface.

5. The electronic musical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the interface part comprises a contact-type interface having exposed electrodes for electric contact with the portable accessory device or having a connector for connection with the portable accessory device.

6. An electronic musical system comprising:

a server;

an electronic musical instrument logically connectable to the server; and

a portable accessory device that stores at least user information of a user of the portable accessory device and logically connectable to the electronic musical instrument,

wherein one of the server or the portable accessory device stores character information representing a character associated with the user,

wherein the server stores at least practice record information representing a record of musical lesson practice associated with the user, and

wherein the electronic musical instrument comprises;

an interface part that obtains at least the user information from the portable accessory device while the portable accessory device is logically connected to the electronic musical instrument;

an access part that accesses the server using the user information obtained from the portable accessory device through the interface part;

a character information acquisition part that obtains the character information from the server or the portable accessory device;

a practice record information acquisition part that obtains the practice record information associated with the user information from the server;

an input part that inputs reward information representing a reward to the user in association with the user information based on the practice recording information obtained by the practice record information acquisition part;

a registration part that registers the reward information input through the input part to the server in association with the user information;

a display device; and

a control part that performs control operation to display on the display device, the character associated with the user based on the character information obtained by the character information acquisition part and the reward information registered by the registration part while the portable accessory device is logically connected to the electronic musical instrument through the interface part.

7. The teaching apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the control part performs the control operation to also display the practice record information obtained by the practice record information acquisition part on the display device.

8. The teaching apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the interface part comprises a contactless interface of a proximity type or a neighborhood type, which logically connects the portable accessory device when the portable accessory device is brought into proximity or neighborhood of the contactless interface.

9. The teaching apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the interface part comprises a contact-type interface having exposed electrodes for electric contact with the portable accessory device or having a connector for connection with the portable accessory device.

10. A non-transitory machine readable medium containing a program executable by a computer, which is contained in an electronic musical instrument of an electronic musical system comprising a server that stores at least lesson information, the electronic musical instrument logically connectable to the server, and a portable accessory device that stores at least user information of a user of the portable accessory device and logically connectable to the electronic musical instrument, to perform a method comprising the steps of:

obtaining at least the user information from the portable accessory device while the portable accessory device is logically connected to the electronic musical instrument, via an interface of the electronic musical instrument;

accessing the server using the user information obtained from the portable accessory device;

obtaining character information from the server based on the user information or the portable accessory device;

obtaining, from the server, the musical lesson information, which represents a musical lesson work to be practiced based on the user information; and

performing control operation to display on a display device, the character associated with the user based on the obtained character information and the obtained musical lesson information while the portable accessory device is logically connected to the electronic musical instrument.

11. A non-transitory machine readable medium containing a program executable by a computer, which is contained in an electronic musical instrument of an electronic musical system comprising a server, the electronic musical instrument logically connectable to the server, and a portable accessory device that stores at least user information of a user of the portable accessory device and logically connectable to the electronic musical instrument, wherein one of the server or the portable accessory device stores character information representing a character associated with the user, and wherein the server stores at least practice recording information representing a record of musical lesson practice associated with the user, to perform a method comprising the steps of:

obtaining at least the user information from the portable accessory device while the portable accessory device is logically connected to the electronic musical instrument, via an interface of the electronic musical instrument;

accessing the server using the user information obtained from the portable accessory device;

obtaining character information from the server based on the user information or the portable accessory device;

obtaining the practice record information associated with the user information from the server;

inputting reward information representing a reward to the user in association with the user information based on the obtained practice record information;

registering the input reward information to the server in association with the user information; and

performing control operation to display on a display device, the character associated with the user based on the obtained character information and the registered reward information while the portable accessory device is logically connected to the electronic musical instrument.