Patents Assigned to Kawai Musical Instruments Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
  • Patent number: 11037542
    Abstract: A pressing surface of a hammer and a to-be-pressed surface of a key switch have relatively-concaved shapes in a longitudinal direction of the hammer. When a switch body is pressed by the hammer, an inclination caused by an overall curvature of the switch body that results from the fact that the switch body is pressed by the hammer from an oblique direction is canceled by an inclination of the switch body caused by partial compression and deformation that results from the relatively-concaved shapes, so that movable contacts in the switch body frontally face stationary contacts and come into contact with the stationary contacts, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: KAWAI MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Seiji Okamoto
  • Patent number: 10991347
    Abstract: A leg attachment structure for a keyboard instrument including leg main bodies that support a keyboard portion from both sides, the keyboard portion in which plural keys are arranged on a key bed, wherein the leg attachment structure has plates installed on upper surfaces of the leg main bodies, the plates and the leg main bodies are fixed by inserting rod-shaped portions formed on lower surfaces of the plates into hole portions provided in the leg main bodies, and the plates are formed to be larger than an area of the upper surfaces of the leg main bodies, and installed at positions eccentric to the inner side and the rear side of the keyboard portion with respect to the upper surfaces of the leg main bodies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: KAWAI MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuo Yamashita, Hikari Ichihara
  • Patent number: 10810984
    Abstract: A fingering display device and a fingering display program capable of drawing a fingering moving image close to actual keyboard operations by minimizing the moving distance of the back of a hand is provided. A fingering display program to perform fingering display on a screen by drawing a fingering moving image of playing a musical instrument in a musical piece reproduction based on playing information including respective musical sounds of a musical piece and corresponding finger numbers, wherein when generating a fingering drawing based on fingering position information corresponding to a reproduction time in the musical piece reproduction, the fingering display program makes a computer execute: generating the fingering position information based on single key pressing information, and synthetic key pressing information obtained by synthesizing respective key pressing information at a plurality of different times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: KAWAI MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masanori Katsuta
  • Patent number: 10347224
    Abstract: A key in one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a key body, a hook, a weight, and a stopper. When the weight is accommodated in a hole of the key body, the weight is supported inside of the hole at least at the following two points: a point ? where the stopper is caught on the hook; and a point ? where the weight abuts on a wall surface of the hole, when the weight is rotated about the point ?.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: KAWAI MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS MANUFACTURING CO., LTD
    Inventor: Masahiko Iwase
  • Patent number: 10224888
    Abstract: A parameter control device that controls an increase/decrease in parameter value based on pulses generated in response from an operator, includes a current value storage unit storing a current value of a parameter value in response to the operator, a measurement time setting unit setting a measurement time in which the number of generated pulses is measured from a current value of the parameter value and a maximum value or a minimum value that the parameter value can take, a threshold setting unit respectively setting thresholds of the number of generated pulses to the maximum value side or the minimum value side, a counting unit counting the number of generated pulses of the operator within the measurement time, a comparison unit comparing the counted number of generated pulses and the thresholds, and an output determination unit determining a parameter value to be output from the operator based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: KAWAI MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshifumi Kira
  • Patent number: 10184656
    Abstract: Provided is a grand piano comprising a rim made of a transparent material, an outer layer formed of a semi-light transmitting material, an inner layer and a bottom layer, which are formed of a material reflecting light received through the rim, and a light source comprising a plurality of point light sources to emit light toward the rim.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: KAWAI MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Mitsuo Yamashita
  • Patent number: 10102837
    Abstract: An electronic piano including a plurality of keys and a sound source device (sound emission section) that emits a sound by pressing down the key, is provided with a resonance circuit that stereo-inputs a sound source from the sound source device corresponding to the each key, a plurality of resonance circuit groups that execute a stereo mix process with the plurality of resonance circuits being made one group, and delay circuits that provide a time difference to each stereo output from the each resonance circuit group, and outputs of the respective delay circuits are synthesized to obtain a stereo output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: KAWAI MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kaoru Matsunaga
  • Patent number: 10049651
    Abstract: In an electronic piano including plural keys and a sound source device (sound emission section) that emits a sound by pressing of the key, an intermediary resonance state of a resonance sound can be reproduced by including a resonance circuit that inputs a sound source from the sound source device corresponding to the each key and outputs a resonance sound, a position detection sensor (multi-stage switch section) in which plural switches close sequentially according to a key pressing state of the key, and a resonance sound control device that controls the resonance sound by an open/close state of plural switches by the position detection sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: KAWAI MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kaoru Matsunaga
  • Patent number: 10028073
    Abstract: An effect giving device that can solve a problem that sound is localized inside a head when using a headphone and a problem that timbre changes depending on kind of the headphone is provided. A DSP 10 performs a speaker adjusting equalizer process that processes an entire bandwidth with seven bands. When output selecting means select a headphone 320, the DSP 10 performs a headphone adjusting equalizer process of the entire bandwidth with three bands of the equalizer process, and processes a process of other bands by replacing it to a lateralization sense alleviating process for the headphone 320. Since the headphone 320 and a speaker 318 are exclusively used, using an identical program storage area efficiently ensures an alleviation of a lateralization sense when using the headphone 320 and an adjustment of the timbre.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Kawai Musical Instruments Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kaoru Matsunaga, Ikuya Kato
  • Patent number: 9905209
    Abstract: An electronic keyboard musical instrument with a plurality of keys is provided. The electronic keyboard musical instrument comprises a detection sensor configured to detect a gentle key press to an adjacent position that is shallower than and adjacent to a resonant performance position; a computer configured to, when the detection sensor detects a gentle key press to the adjacent position of at least one first key, execute a resonance permission process to give a permission to output a resonant tone of the at least one first key; and a tone emission device configured to, when at least one second key different from the at least one first key and having a resonant relationship with the at least one first key is regularly pressed, emit a regular tone of the at least one second key and the resonant tone of the at least one first key.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: KAWAI MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kiyomichi Kushimiya
  • Patent number: 9640161
    Abstract: The program of the present invention is provided for an information terminal equipped with a touch panel that is used for displaying a musical score thereon, the information terminal performing music in accordance with performance sequence data corresponding to the musical score. The program displays the musical score on the touch panel, determines a start bar for a performance sequence as the start point for performing from any bar region of the musical score by sliding a touch position in the right direction on the particular bar region, and determines an end bar for the performance sequence as an end point for ending the performance in any bar region of the musical score by sliding the touch position in the left direction on the particular bar region. Thus, the user can intuitively designate a range of performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: KAWAI MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masanori Katsuta
  • Publication number: 20170061938
    Abstract: A key in one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a key body, a hook, a weight, and a stopper. When the weight is accommodated in a hole of the key body, the weight is supported inside of the hole at least at the following two points: a point a where the stopper is caught on the hook; and a point ? where the weight abuts on a wall surface of the hole, when the weight is rotated about the point ?.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2016
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Applicant: KAWAI MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masahiko IWASE
  • Publication number: 20170048642
    Abstract: An effect giving device that can solve a problem that sound is localized inside a head when using a headphone and a problem that timbre changes depending on kind of the headphone is provided. A DSP 10 performs a speaker adjusting equalizer process that processes an entire bandwidth with seven bands. When output selecting means select a headphone 320, the DSP 10 performs a headphone adjusting equalizer process of the entire bandwidth with three bands of the equalizer process, and processes a process of other bands by replacing it to a lateralization sense alleviating process for the headphone 320. Since the headphone 320 and a speaker 318 are exclusively used, using an identical program storage area efficiently ensures an alleviation of a lateralization sense when using the headphone 320 and an adjustment of the timbre.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Publication date: February 16, 2017
    Applicant: Kawai Musical Instruments Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kaoru MATSUNAGA, Ikuya KATO
  • Patent number: 9280962
    Abstract: Provided is a sound preview device including, in an electronic musical instrument which includes a keyboard 2 and an operation button 1 to perform tone selection or a sound setting and in which tone selection or a sound setting corresponding to a key is performed in advance by pressing the operation button 1 while pressing one of the keys in the keyboard 2, a changed state recognizing unit 3 that recognizes from a pressed key a changed state of tone selection or a sound setting determined corresponding to the key in advance, a phrase storing unit 4 in which phrases of sounds by which an influence of the changed state is easily known are stored in plural numbers according to the changed state, and a sound emitting unit 5 that emits a phrase corresponding to the changed state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: KAWAI MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS MANUFACTURING CO., LTD
    Inventors: Kohtaro Ilimura, Sachie Ilimura
  • Patent number: 9218798
    Abstract: Provided is a voice assist device in an electronic musical instrument in which tone selection or a sound setting corresponding to a key is performed in advance by pressing the operation button 1 while pressing one of the keys in the keyboard 2, including a changed state recognizing unit 3 that recognizes from a pressed key a changed state of tone selection or a sound setting determined corresponding to the key in advance, a setting item name storing unit 4 that stores a setting item name of the tone selection or sound setting as voice data, and a sound emitting unit 5 that emits a setting item name corresponding to the changed state, and the changed state recognizing unit 3 includes a voice assist recognizing unit 6 that detects a depression for a preset time or more of the operation button 1 prior to a depression of the key.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: KAWAI MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takuya Satoh, Kohtaro Ilimura, Sachie Ilimura
  • Publication number: 20150170619
    Abstract: A weight for a key of a keyboard musical instrument that is to be inserted and secured in an attachment space, provided to the key, is provided. The weight includes: a weight body portion; and a corrugated portion, disposed in at least one portion of a lateral surface of the weight body portion, the lateral surface being located around an axis extending in an inserting direction of the weight body portion into the attachment space, the corrugated portion including a plurality of corrugations aligned in the inserting direction. The weight body portion and the corrugated portion are made of an elastic material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Applicant: KAWAI MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masahiko IWASE
  • Patent number: 6008783
    Abstract: A display device displaying a plurality of information sets with a simple structure, and a keyboard instrument that has a key guide device including such a display device. The display is driven at cycles shorter than those discernible by human beings, and the time ratio of ON period to OFF period for the display is changed based on control data. More specifically, the ON state and OFF state are inverted each drive cycle, or the number of cycles during which the display is in ON or OFF state can selected, or the drive cycles are cyclically changed to turn ON the display means only in a designated cycle. In this manner, the luminance of and the hues of the display can be changed relative to the continuous lighting, and a plurality of information sets can be displayed based on this change. This display device may be employed as a fingering guide display device for a keyboard instrument, and position data for keys to be depressed and other playing guide information are displayed at the same time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Assignee: Kawai Musical Instruments Manufacturing Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kitagawa, Masahito Kinpara
  • Patent number: 5907115
    Abstract: A keyboard musical instrument having a keyboard range display device with which the positions of player's hands or fingers on a keyboard and the keys to be depressed as needed, are visually identified, comprises right hand and left hand range display means for displaying keyboard ranges to be covered by right and left hand fingers, and preferably, note-on position display means. Display data included in play data, is used to turn on each display means. A player immediately and intuitively perceives the range that is defined, so that he can easily move his fingers to correspond with the range. Even when the hands are near each other during a performance, the player can clearly identify the positions of the hands on the keyboard and the fingers to be used for key depression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1999
    Assignee: Kawai Musical Instruments Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Matsunaga, Tatsuya Inaba, Hiroshi Kitagawa, Toshinori Matsuda
  • Patent number: 5886277
    Abstract: An electronic musical instrument having a waveform memory of a relatively small capacity for storing waveform information similar to conventional waveform information, the waveform memory being compatible with any data reading scheme. The waveform information is stored in the form of a plurality of frames. Each frame includes a plurality of pieces of sampled waveform data compressed by ADPCM or the like and decode information for extending the sampled waveform data to be read next to the current frame. Storing the decode information in a frame for extending the sampled waveform data stored in frames before and after that frame makes it possible to extract the necessary decode information from the frame read immediately before regardless of whether the frames are read forward or backward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1999
    Assignee: Kawai Musical Instruments Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kiyomi Takauji
  • Patent number: D946647
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: KAWAI MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Junya Ueki