Auto-playing apparatus

• US RE33,607 E
• Filed: 01/30/1990
• Issued: 06/11/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Fukuda, Makoto, Matsumoto, Naoaki, Tateishi, Naofumi, Kayahara, Takehiko, Yuzawa, Keiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Witkowski, Stanley J.
• Application Number:
  US07/473,119
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: 84/609-614, 84/634-638, 84/642, 84/DIG. 12, 84/DIG. 29
• US Class Current: 84/609
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/005 on magnetic tape
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/26 for automatically producing a series of tones
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 84/29 Tape

Abstract

Data for a plurality of musical pieces is preset in a ROM pack and also on a tape recorder. Musical piece data read out from the ROM pack or tape recorder is supplied from a control section to melody generators, a chord generator, a bass generator and a rhythm generator. Melody data, chord data, and rhythm data obtained from these generators are coupled through an amplifier to a loudspeaker.

Claims

1. An auto-playing apparatus of the kind including a case containing electronic circuitry and having a setting section for receiving an external .[.memory pack.]. .Iadd.means for storing electrical signals.Iaddend., comprising:

.[.a memory pack adapted to be.]. .Iadd.means for storing electrical signals .Iaddend.removably set in the setting section provided in the case of the apparatus for electrical coupling to the circuits in the case, said .[.memory pack having.]. .Iadd.storing means storing electrical signals in digital form related to .Iaddend.music data .[.on.]. .Iadd.corresponding to .Iaddend.a plurality of music pieces .[.in digital form.]., and respective musical number data corresponding to each of said plurality of music pieces;

a keyboard with keys corresponding to pitches of several octaves to enable execution of a manual play;

a switch .Iadd.means .Iaddend.for designating a manual play or an automatic play according to the music data stored in said .[.memory pack.]. .Iadd.storing means.Iaddend., some of the keys in said keyboard, when said switch .[.designating.]. .Iadd.means designates .Iaddend.the automatic play, being set to operate as designating keys for selectively designating musical number data corresponding to the plurality of the music pieces which are stored in said .[.memory pack.]. .Iadd.storing means.Iaddend.;

a memory .Iadd.means .Iaddend.coupled to said switch .Iadd.means.Iaddend.and said designating keys of said keyboard, for storing musical number data in response to operation of said designating keys in said keyboard when said switch .Iadd.means.Iaddend.designates the automatic play;

control means, coupled to said .[.memory pack.]. .Iadd.storing means .Iaddend.and said memory .Iadd.means.Iaddend., for reading the music data in said .[.memory pack.]. .Iadd.storing means .Iaddend.corresponding to the musical number data in said memory .Iadd.means .Iaddend.and for outputting the music data; and

reproducing means, coupled to said control means, said keyboard and said switch .Iadd.means .Iaddend.for reproducing, when said switch .Iadd.means .Iaddend.designates the manual play, the music corresponding to the keys of said keyboard, and for reproducing, when said switch means designates the automatic play, the music in accordance with the music data outputted by said control means.

2. The auto-playing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said memory .Iadd.means .Iaddend.stores, in designated order, the musical number data on a plurality of music pieces in response to operation of the designated keys of said keyboard, and said control means repeatedly reads in the order of the musical number data stored in said memory .Iadd.means .Iaddend.the music data in said .[.memory pack.]. .Iadd.storing means .Iaddend.corresponding to the musical number data in said memory .Iadd.means .Iaddend.to output the music data to said reproducing means.

3. An auto-playing apparatus of the kind including a case containing electronic circuitry .[.and having a setting section for receiving an external memory pack.]., comprising:

.[.a memory pack adapted to be removably set in the setting section provided in the case of the apparatus for electrical coupling to the circuits in the case, said memory pack having music data on.]. .Iadd.means for storing electrical signals in digital form related to music data corresponding to .Iaddend.a plurality of music pieces, .[.in digital form.]. and respective musical number data corresponding to each of said .Iadd.plurality .Iaddend.of music pieces;

.Iadd.a keyboard with keys corresponding to pitches of several octaves to enable execution of a manual play;

switch means for designating the manual play or an automatic play according to the music data stored in said storing means, at least one of the keys in said keyboard, when said switch means designates the automatic play, being set to operate as a designating key for randomly selecting the music pieces;

.Iaddend.

a generator .Iadd.means .Iaddend.for randomly generating designating data for selectively designating musical number data of said music data which are stored in said .[.memory pack.]. .Iadd.storing means;

.Iaddend.

a memory .Iadd.means.Iaddend., coupled to said generator .Iadd.means.Iaddend., for storing as musical number data the designating data randomly generated by said generator .Iadd.means.Iaddend.;

control means, coupled to said .[.memory pack.]. .Iadd.storing means .Iaddend.and said memory .Iadd.means.Iaddend., for .Iadd.reading .Iaddend.the music data in said .[.memory pack.]. .Iadd.storing means .Iaddend.corresponding to the musical number data in said memory .Iadd.means .Iaddend.and for outputting the music data; and

reproducing means, coupled to said control means, .Iadd.said keyboard, and said switch means for reproducing, when said switch means designates the manual play, the music corresponding to the keys of said keyboard, and .Iaddend.for reproducing.Iadd., when said switch means designates the automatic play, the .Iaddend.music in accordance with the music data outputted by said control means.

4. The auto-playing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said generator .Iadd.means .Iaddend.randomly generates the designating data a number of times set by a user, said memory .Iadd.means .Iaddend.stores in generated order the designating data generated from said generator .Iadd.means.Iaddend., and said control means repeatedly reads.Iadd., .Iaddend.in the order of the musical number data stored in said memory .Iadd.means.Iaddend., the music data in said .[.memory pack.]. .Iadd.storing means .Iaddend.corresponding to the musical number data in said memory .Iadd.means .Iaddend.to output the music data to said reproducing means.

5. An auto-playing apparatus of the kind including a case containing electronic circuitry and having a setting section for receiving an external memory .[.pack.]. .Iadd.device.Iaddend., comprising:

.[.a memory pack adapted to be.]. .Iadd.means for storing electrical signals .Iaddend.removably set in the setting section provided in the case of the apparatus for electrical coupling to the circuits in the case, said .[.memory pack.]. .Iadd.storing means .Iaddend.storing .Iadd.electrical signals in digital form related to .Iaddend.music data .[.on.]. .Iadd.corresponding to .Iaddend.a plurality of music pieces .[.in digital form, a.]..Iadd., and .Iaddend.respective musical number data corresponding to each of said music pieces;

magnetic-tape reproducing means, adapted to be connected to an input on the case of the apparatus, for reproducing music data magnetically recorded on a magnetic tape in digital form;

an interface .Iadd.means.Iaddend., coupled to said magnetic-tape reproducing means when said magnetic-tape reproducing means is connected to the input on the case, for converting the music data from a magnetic recording/reproducing signal reproduced by said magnetic-tape reproducing means into music data in the form of digital data;

designating data means for selectively designating musical number data on a plurality of music pieces which are stored in said .[.memory pack.]. .Iadd.storing means.Iaddend.;

a memory .Iadd.means.Iaddend., coupled to said designating means for storing the musical number data designated by said designating means;

switch means for selecting an automatic play according to one of the music data stored in said .[.memory pack.]. .Iadd.storing means .Iaddend.and the music data recorded on said magnetic tape;

control means, coupled to said .[.memory pack.]. .Iadd.storing means.Iaddend., to said memory .Iadd.means.Iaddend., to said interface .Iadd.means.Iaddend.and to said switch means, for .Iadd.(1).Iaddend.reading the musical number data stored in said memory .Iadd.means.Iaddend., when said switch means selects the automatic play according to said .[.memory pack.]. .Iadd.storing means.Iaddend., the music data stored in said .[.memory pack.]. .Iadd.storing means .Iaddend.corresponding to the musical number data in said memory .[.and.]. .Iadd.means, (2).Iaddend.to output the stored music data, .[.and.]. .Iadd.(3).Iaddend.for inputting and storing, when said switch .Iadd.means.Iaddend.selects the automatic play according to said magnetic tape, the music data outputted from said interface .Iadd.means.Iaddend., and .Iadd.(4).Iaddend.to output the recorded music data; and

reproducing means, coupled to said control means, for reproducing music in accordance with the music data outputted by said control means.

6. The auto-playing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said interface is adapted to be removably set in the case of said apparatus for electrical connection to said magnetic tape reproducing means and said control means.

7. An auto-playing apparatus of the kind including a case containing electronic circuitry .[.and having a setting section for receiving an external memory pack.]., comprising:

.[.a memory pack adapted to be removably set in the setting section provided in the case of the apparatus for electrical coupling to the circuits in the case, said memory pack means having.]. .Iadd.means for storing electrical signals in digital form related to .Iaddend.music data .[.on.]. .Iadd.corresponding to .Iaddend.a plurality of music pieces .[.in digital form.]., said music data in said .[.memory pack.]. .Iadd.storing means .Iaddend.including pitch data, tone duration data and command data indicative of the fact that the value of tone duration data is greater than a reference value, and respective musical number data corresponding to each of said plurality of music pieces;

designating means for selectively designating musical number data on a music piece among said plurality of music pieces which are stored in said .[.memory pack.]. .Iadd.storing means.Iaddend.;

a memory .Iadd.means.Iaddend., coupled to said designating means, for storing the musical number data designated by said designating means in the designated order;

control means, coupled to said .[.memory pack.]..Iadd.storing means .Iaddend.and said memory .Iadd.means.Iaddend., for reading, in the order of the musical number data stored in said memory .Iadd.means.Iaddend., the music data in said .[.memory pack.]. .Iadd.storing means .Iaddend.corresponding to the musical number data in said memory .Iadd.means .Iaddend.and for outputting the music data, said control means executing, when said command data is read out from said .[.memory pack.]. .Iadd.storing means.Iaddend., a calculation on the pertinent tone duration to calculate proper tone duration and to give the pertinent pitch data to said reproducing means, in accordance with said proper done duration; and

reproducing means, coupled to said control means, for reproducing music .Iadd.in .Iaddend.accordance with the music data outputted from said control means.

8. The auto-playing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said music data in said memory pack.]. .Iadd.storing means .Iaddend.includes tempo data, said control means sequentially sends said music data to said reproducing means in accordance with said tempo data, and said reproducing means reproduces the music piece with a tempo according to said tempo data.

9. The auto-playing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said music data in said .[.memory pack.]. .Iadd.storing means .Iaddend.includes repeat data, and said control means repeatedly reads out the music data according to said repeat data when said repeat data is read out from said .[.memory pack.]. .Iadd.storing means.Iaddend.. .Iadd.10. An auto-playing apparatus of the kind including a case containing electronic circuitry, comprising:

means for storing electrical signals in digital form related to music data corresponding to a plurality of music pieces, and respective musical number data corresponding to each of said plurality of music pieces;

a keyboard with keys corresponding, respectively, to a plurality of pitches to enable execution of a manual play;

a switch means for selectively designating one of a manual play and an automatic play, said automatic play being performed in accordance with the music data stored in said storing means, some of the keys in said keyboard, when said switch means designates the automatic play, being set to operate as designating keys for selectively designating musical number data corresponding to the plurality of the music pieces which are stored in said storing means;

a memory means, coupled to said switch means and said designating keys of said keyboard, for storing musical number data in response to operation of said designating keys in said keyboard when said switch means designates the automatic play;

control means, coupled to said music data storing means and said memory means, for reading the music data in said storing means corresponding to the musical number data in said memory means and for outputting the music data; and

reproducing means, coupled to said control means, said keyboard and said switch means, for reproducing, when said switch means designates the manual play, the music corresponding to the keys of said keyboard and for reproducing, when said switch means designates the automatic play, the music in accordance with the music data outputted by said control means..Iaddend. .Iadd.11. The auto-playing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said memory means stores, in designated order, the musical number data on a plurality of music pieces in response to operation of the designating keys of said keyboard, and said control means repeatedly reads in the order of the musical number data stored in said memory means the music data in said storing means corresponding to the musical number data in said memory means to output the music data to said reproducing means..Iaddend.