Patents Examined by Andrew R Millikin
  • Patent number: 7678985
    Abstract: An electronic module has an enclosure which is mechanically and electrically compatible with a plurality of receiving devices such as amplifiers, computers, mixer consoles, and musical instruments. The module has a programmable control panel and display on the enclosure and an electronic circuit disposed within the enclosure and receiving user commands from the control panel and displaying configuration information on the display. The electronic circuit performs a variety of functions for each of the receiving devices by way of a digital signal processor, synthesizer for generating a programmable audio signal in response to a data stream, storage device for storing musical information in a digital format, and playback device for retrieval and playback of the stored musical information. An audio output is coupled for transferring the programmable audio signal to or from the receiving device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Fender Musical Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Charles C. Adams, Dale V. Curtis, Jeremy A. Brieske, Lawrence E. Lorenzen
  • Patent number: 7674964
    Abstract: A keyboard electronic musical instrument is of a type which comprises a keyboard including a plurality of individual keys for playing individual musical notes and arrayed in a first direction, and a key detecting device for detecting respective key depression velocities of the individual keys. The instrument further comprises an indicator device which presents a plurality of bar-graphic indications respectively for the individual keys in the keyboard, the bar-graphic indications being arrayed side by side in the first direction, each bar-graphic indication being elongate in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction and representing the key depression velocity of each of the individual keys. When a key is depressed, the key depression velocity is detected and the bar-graphic indication which corresponds to the depressed key is illuminated in green color with a length representing the key depression velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroko Ohmura, Daisuke Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7667116
    Abstract: A key actuating system (1) of a keyboard musical instrument is provided which helps quickly push the keys by reducing reaction force with respect to force of pushing the keys during manual operation, and which supports a person having less strength to play the keyboard musical instrument. The key actuating system for a keyboard musical instrument generates a sound when a key (3) is pushed including: a pressure detection sensor (11) detecting a pushing pressure on the key; a status detection sensor (13) detecting a movement status of the key: an actuator (15) actuating the key in a pushing direction of the key; and a control portion (19), when the pressure detection sensor detects the pushing pressure and the status detection sensor detects motion of the key, controls operations of the actuator in order to maintain the detected pressure by the pressure detection sensor at a pressure threshold which is in a range larger than 0 and smaller than a pushing pressure on the key which is necessary for making a sound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Masayoshi Yamashita, Shuichi Sawada, Hideo Suzuki, Emiko Suzuki, legal representative, Yoshinori Hayashi
  • Patent number: 7667130
    Abstract: A percussion detecting apparatus and an electronic percussion instrument, which are capable of not only providing excellent percussion feeling, but also visually indicating a percussion pattern of a beat applied to a percussion surface, so as to serve for percussion practice as well as to increase interest in the percussion practice. A head of the percussion detecting apparatus is formed of an air-permeable material and has a light transmitting property. The head includes a percussion surface. A drum shell supports the head. A head sensor detects a beat applied to the percussion surface of the head and outputs a beat signal indicative of the sensed beat. A light radiating part is disposed on an opposite side from the percussion surface of the head so as to perform visual indication corresponding to a percussion pattern of the beat applied to the percussion surface, at least through the percussion surface, based on the beat signal output from the head sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Junichi Mishima
  • Patent number: 7645926
    Abstract: A stringed musical instrument combination of at least two traditional stringed musical instruments or of nontraditional stringed musical instruments or a mix of traditional and nontraditional. The combination presents the advantages of rapid exchange while playing, reduced storage or transportation volume and a lower cost than two separate instruments. The preferred embodiment is a Fiddolin, a commercially available violin modified to present a mandolin on its back face. The string tension requirement is solved by having additional structure to mount the mandolin pegs into and the angularity needed to keep the strings pulled over the nut by channels or lumens to conduct the strings through.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Inventor: Clennon Wayne Jerrolds
  • Patent number: 7642447
    Abstract: An electronic musical instrument comprising a CPU, a display device, operators, a data interface, and a storage device storing music tone data, all interconnected via a bus line, wherein upon an inquiry from a PC connected to the data interface for a device identity, the electronic music instrument transmits via the data interface the device identity of a removable media drive. In some embodiments, wherein upon commands sent from the PC, the electronic musical instrument transmits the stored music tone data in a format consistent with the removable media drive. An electronic music system comprising such an electronic musical instrument connected to a PC via a data interface. A method of data communication between an electronic music instrument and a PC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Roland Corporation
    Inventor: Shoichi Kojima
  • Patent number: 7619156
    Abstract: A system and method for correction of finger positions for an electronic musical instrument. By adding a correction step in the direction of a nearest grid value, the system can perform correction in a manner that allows for gradual position correction while maintaining a vibrato or glissando shape that is similar to vibrato or glissando shape of the actual finger positions over time. The system and method may be used for pitch correction for a continuous-pitch electronic musical instrument.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Inventor: Lippold Haken
  • Patent number: 7612277
    Abstract: The invention disclosed is a system for playing a music sequence such as a MIDI file in synchronization with a prerecorded CD. The synchronization is accomplished by using the digital media sample rate as a common time base for progression of the playing of the digital media and the music sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: QRS Music Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew P. Weir, Guido Van den Berghe
  • Patent number: 7608774
    Abstract: Two-dimensional display section is provided near a keyboard, and, in accordance with performance data, this display section is caused to effect a dynamic display moving, in a given two-dimensional trajectory, from a first display position corresponding to a key to be currently depressed to a second display position corresponding to another key to be next depressed. Thus, a human player can readily intuitively predict the key to be next depressed and depression timing of the next key, in accordance with the display drawing a so-called bouncing-ball-like two-dimensional trajectory that appears as if a ball were bouncing. Further, with a performance guide by the non-conventional or novel bouncing-ball-like two-dimensional trajectory display, the human player can enjoy continuing to play the keyboard, without getting bored, as if the player were following a bouncing ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroko Ohmura, Takeshi Fuse
  • Patent number: 7605324
    Abstract: An apparatus is to assist an unskilled player in playing a musical instrument by detecting the quantity of the player's manipulation against the instrument, modifying the detected manipulation quantity with reference to a recommended manipulation to a degree according to a given assistance coefficient, and actuating the instrument with the modified manipulation quantity. For a brass instrument, the apparatus comprises an embouchure sensor and a breath pressure sensor to detect the embouchure and the breath pressure of the player as he/she plays the brass instrument. The detected embouchure and breath pressure are then modified with reference to a recommended embouchure and breath pressure weighted by a given assistance coefficient. The apparatus actuates the brass instrument based on the modified embouchure and breath pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Hideyuki Masuda, Junji Fujii, Yutaka Tohgi
  • Patent number: 7605320
    Abstract: A method for synchronizing at least one multimedia peripheral of a portable communication device with a synthetic audio file (1), which method comprises a step of generating at least one synchronization signal (SiSYNCH) from said synthetic audio file (1). According to the invention, said method comprises an initialization step (A0) consisting in memorizing, at said portable communication device, parameters (2) including at least a list of preferred instruments; and a generating step (A1) comprising a step of analyzing (A10) information read from said synthetic audio file (1) relating to each instrument for which a track can be extracted in said synthetic audio file (1), and a step of deciding (A11) which extracted track is to be used for generating said synchronization signal (SiSYNCH) as a function of said parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: IPG Electronics 504 Limited
    Inventors: Minh Le, Michael Guilbaud, Muriel Gohn
  • Patent number: 7579546
    Abstract: A user is asked to perform tapping at beat positions by using a tapping detection section while listening to the beginning of a waveform from which beats are to be detected. When a fluctuation calculation section determines that tapping fluctuation falls in a predetermined range, a beat interval close in number to the tempo of the tapping is selected from among beat-interval candidates detected by a tempo-candidate detection section, and a tapping position where tapping becomes stable is determined to be the starting beat position. Tapping by the user for just some beats allows beats to be detected in the entire musical piece more correctly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kawai Gakki Seisakusho
    Inventor: Ren Sumita
  • Patent number: 7576277
    Abstract: A portable tuning device samples discrete values on a fundamental frequency component of an audio signal, which is equivalent to sound waves produced in a musical instrument, and extracts plural series of fundamental frequency components to be converted to plural bit strings of 1s and 0s; since a time delay equal to the inverse of target frequency is introduced between the first bit of one bit string and the first bit of the next bit string, a series of gradation data has a bit string identical with the bit strings at the consistency with the target frequency, and the series of gradation data has bit strings different from the bit strings at the inconsistency regardless of a cycle time so that user recognizes the tuning state from the bit strings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Fukutaro Okuyama
  • Patent number: 7554028
    Abstract: In an apparatus for assisting play of a wind instrument, an actuator is attached to the wind instrument for vibrating a portion of the wind instrument so as to assist play of the wind instrument. A microphone receives a vibration of a sound generated by the wind instrument and generates a vibration signal representing the vibration of the sound. A breath pressure sensor detects a pressure of a breath that is blown into the wind instrument during the play thereof, and generates a breath pressure signal corresponding to the detected pressure of the breath. A controller generates a control signal corresponding to the product of an inverse value of an envelope of the vibration signal and a value of the breath pressure signal. A variable gain amplifier amplifies the vibration signal with a variable gain which varies in response to the control signal so that an output signal of the variable gain amplifier is provided to enable the excitation part to vibrate the portion of the wind instrument.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Junji Fujii
  • Patent number: 7528315
    Abstract: A rhythm action game apparatus comprising an audio analyzer adapted to analyze a music track and provide corresponding rhythm data, and a sequence generator adapted to generate game play cues according to said rhythm data. There is also disclosed a music processor comprising an audio analyzer adapted to analyze a music track and provide corresponding rhythm data, and an audio post processor adapted to reconfigure the music track controlled by the rhythm data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Codemasters Software Company Limited
    Inventor: Simon Nicholas Goodwin
  • Patent number: 7525032
    Abstract: A percussion detecting apparatus and an electronic percussion instrument, which are capable of not only providing excellent percussion feeling, but also visually indicating a percussion pattern of a beat applied to a percussion surface, so as to serve for percussion practice as well as to increase interest in the percussion practice. A head of the percussion detecting apparatus is formed of an air-permeable material and has a light transmitting property. The head includes a percussion surface. A drum shell supports the head. A head sensor detects a beat applied to the percussion surface of the head and outputs a beat signal indicative of the sensed beat. A light radiating part is disposed on an opposite side from the percussion surface of the head so as to perform visual indication corresponding to a percussion pattern of the beat applied to the percussion surface, at least through the percussion surface, based on the beat signal output from the head sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Junichi Mishima
  • Patent number: 7518054
    Abstract: The audio reproduction apparatus (100) for sports training purposes comprises a tempo derivation unit (103) for deriving a selected tempo (T) on the basis of a data signal (d1, d2, d3) e.g. from a sports measurement device such as a heart rate meter; and an audio conditioning unit (104) arranged to deliver based on the input audio signal the output audio signal, with a tempo within a predefined accepted deviation from the selected tempo (T), whereby the audio conditioning unit (104) comprises a tempo calculation unit (106) arranged to calculate an input tempo (TI) of the input audio signal, and the audio conditioning unit (104) is arranged to deliver the output signal in dependence of the input tempo (TI).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Koninlkijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Martin Franciscus McKinney, Dirk Jeroen Breebaart, Steven Leonardus Josephus Dimphina Elisabeth Van de Par, Ludovic Albert Jozef Van Paepegem
  • Patent number: 7518056
    Abstract: A method for adapting a score stored in a MIDI file for being reproduced on a mobile terminal to the transfer function of an electroacoustic reproduction circuitry includes test rendering of the score to obtain sampled data prior to a reproduction of the score on the mobile terminal. From these sampled data, one or more values and or combination of values for a desired electroacoustic reproduction on the mobile terminals are identified, and, based on these identified values, one or more parameters suited for adapting the score with respect to the desired or optimised reproduction on the mobile terminal are determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB
    Inventor: Thomas Lechner
  • Patent number: 7511214
    Abstract: A CPU 21 sequentially changes over plural music pieces and reproduces the same by a program processing. Upon the changeover of the music piece, the volume of the tone signal that is being generated at each tone generating channel in a tone generating circuit 14 is gradually decreased, whereby the tone signal is finally faded out. The volume decreasing speed in this case is such that the higher the priority order of the performance data is, the slower the speed is. The generation of a tone signal based upon performance data of next music piece data is assigned one after another from a tone generating channel wherein a fade-out has been completed. The volume of the assigned tone signal is controlled so as to gradually increased, whereby the tone signal is faded in. In this case, the assignment of the generation of the tone signal based upon the performance data of the next music piece is made earlier, as the order of priority of the performance data is higher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Tadahiko Ikeya, Nobuhiro Nambu
  • Patent number: 7507900
    Abstract: The invention disclosed herein is a system and method for playing music sequences, such as MIDI files in synchronization with a DVD. This system utilizes a preauthored music sequence and a controller that listens to the S/PDIF output of a DVD player. Further, this application discloses a method for creating MIDI files for use with the invention disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: QRS Music Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew P. Weir, Joseph T. Friel, Guido Van den Berghe