Abstract: An electronic musical instrument 1 and a portable terminal 2 are connected to a wireless LAN 3. The wireless LAN 3 is connected to an Internet 4 via a router. A distribution server 5 residing on the Internet 4 is a server which provides Internet services. A pairing between the electronic musical instrument 1 and the portable terminal 2 is established to conduct Internet communications in a pair. Processes from accessing the distribution server 5 to specifying a desired service are performed by use of the portable terminal 2. The distribution server 5 distributes data corresponding to the service specified by the portable terminal 2 to the electronic musical instrument 1. A user is thus allowed to use the desired service on the electronic musical instrument 1.

Abstract: A key structure which has a key formed by a wood part so as to present a woody appearance and which makes it possible to prevent support members thereof that support the wood part from being damaged during machining of the wood part for width adjustment. The key structure functions as a key pivotally moved by key depression when it is mounted in a keyboard apparatus. A wood part includes a narrow part having opposite lateral sides. An elongated upper plate body has opposite lateral sides, and fixedly supports the wood part. Recessed parts are formed in the respective lateral sides of the upper plate body at least in a substantial entirety of a region of the upper plate body in a longitudinal direction of the key structure where the wood part does not exist. The recessed parts are recessed laterally inward of the respective lateral sides of the narrow part of the wood part.

Abstract: A key structure which is free from separation between a wood part thereof and a key base body to which the wood part is secured and has enhanced vertical rigidity in the vicinity of a clearance between the base end of the key base body and the wood part. In the key structure, the key base body has an extended part formed integrally with the base end and extended forward therefrom. The wood part is fixedly bonded to the upper surface of the extended part. A clearance is formed transversely of the key base body between the wood part and the base end. An upper plate body is fixedly bonded to both the upper surface of the wood part and the upper surface of the base end, and the rear part of the upper plate body extends in a manner spanning the base end and the wood part above the clearance.

Abstract: A key operation detection unit of an electronic keyboard instrument that suppresses increase in reaction forces with key depression operation, to improve a key touch feeling. A depression operation of any one of keys of the keyboard instrument is detected by first and second corresponding detectors of the detection unit. The detectors are surrounded by an outer resilient projection and each comprised of an inner resilient projection and a movable portion extending therefrom toward a base plate of the unit. With key depression, the movable portion of the first detector is in contact with the base plate and its inner resilient projection is deformed to generate a reaction force. With further key depression, the inner resilient projection of the second detector brought in contact with the base plate is deformed to generate a reaction force smaller than the reaction force from the first detector.

Abstract: A keyboard apparatus of this electronic musical instrument is provided with touch curves TW1 through TWp, TB1 through TBq each defining a velocity value Vc varying with a key-depression velocity Kv (TD). Each of keys K1 through Kn of a keyboard 14k is associated with one of the touch curves TW1 through Twp, TB1 through TBq by touch selecting tables SW, SB in accordance with an equalization rule and a weighting rule. Upon a key-depression, in accordance with the velocity curve TWr, TBs selected on the basis of an actual depressed key position Ki (M2), an actual key-depression velocity Kva is converted into a velocity Vca for controlling emission of a tone (M3).

Abstract: A musical interaction assisting apparatus is to enhance friendliness between an electronic musical instrument and the player. The player's actions are detected acoustically, visually or physically, and the interaction assisting apparatus interprets the detected player's actions and generates interactive responses thereto. The interactive responses are outputted acoustically, visually or physically for the player, and electronically to control the electronic musical instrument. The interaction assisting apparatus also has a learning function to provide proper responses to the player.

Abstract: In an electronic keyboard instrument, each key moves from an initial position to a full stroke position via first, second, and third positions sequentially. A velocity detector detects a first key velocity of the key when the key moves from the first position to the second position, and detects a second key velocity of the key when the key further moves from the second position to the third position. A predictor obtains a predicted key-on time and a predicted key velocity based on the first key velocity, provided that the first key velocity is greater than a predetermined threshold velocity. A tone generator generates a musical sound signal based on the first key velocity and the predicted key velocity if the second key velocity is not detected before the predicted key-on time.

Abstract: A key structure which is capable of giving a woody appearance to the key, and increasing the freedom of mounting at least one functional part formed as a separate part from the key structure, while maintaining excellent machinability. An upper plate has an increased width part corresponding to an end of a white key toward a player. In the key structure, a wood part is secured to the lower surface of at least the increased width part of the upper plate, and has an increased width part having substantially the same width as the increased width part of the upper plate. The key structure is mountable in a keyboard apparatus, for functioning as a white key pivotally moved by key-depressing operation. A recess is formed in a part of the wood part including the increased width part, which opens downward and has a width (W0) not less than 50% and not more than 80% of the width (B0) of the increased width part of the wood part.

Abstract: A key structure which is capable of giving a woody appearance to the key, and increasing the freedom of mounting at least one functional part formed as a separate part from the key structure, while maintaining excellent machinability. An upper plate has an increased width part corresponding to an end of a white key toward a player. In the key structure, a wood part is secured to the lower surface of at least the increased width part of the upper plate, and has an increased width part having substantially the same width as the increased width part of the upper plate. The key structure is mountable in a keyboard apparatus, for functioning as a white key pivotally moved by key-depressing operation. A recess is formed in a part of the wood part including the increased width part, which opens downward and has a width (W0) not less than 50% and not more than 80% of the width (B0) of the increased width part of the wood part.

Abstract: Frame on which a plurality of keys are operably mounted has a continuous surface defining a channel-shaped concave section extending in a direction where the keys are arranged, and a body section in which the frame is mounted has a supporting surface that contacts opposite sides of an opening of the channel-shaped concave section of the frame. The opposite sides of the opening of the channel-shaped concave section of the frame are fixed to the supporting surface of the body section. Thus, a closed-section structure is formed by the channel-shaped concave section of the frame and the supporting surface of the body section, which constitutes a semi monocoque structure extending in the key-arranged direction. Such a structure can enhance bending rigidity and twisting rigidity relative to the key-arranged direction.

Abstract: A keyboard apparatus includes: keys composed of white keys and black keys supported pivotably on a key mounting part of a frame; mass members pivotably supported on a mass member mounting part and driven by mass member driving parts provided underside of the keys; and a mass member lower limit stopper and a mass member upper limit stopper restricting a pivot range of the mass members. Each of the mass members includes a mass concentration part. The mass concentration part extends more outward in a key longitudinal direction than a position where the mass member upper limit stopper on the frame is disposed, and an upper face of the mass concentration part at its highest lifted position is substantially flush with an upper face of a rear end portion of the white key main body.

Abstract: A keyboard apparatus having mass bodies that pivotally move in accordance with a key operation that facilitates key attachment operations. In a key unit, a plurality of keys having driving parts are integrally connected by a common base end part in a condition in which the keys are pivotally movable. A plurality of mass bodies have driven parts disposed in correspondence to the driving parts of the keys, respectively, and are disposed in a pivotally movable condition with respect to a key frame having a securing part. In an assembled state in which the common base end part is secured to the securing part and the driving parts are engaged with the corresponding driven parts, respectively, in response to a pivotal movement of each of the keys, the corresponding driven parts are driven by the driving parts, respectively, so that the corresponding mass bodies pivotally move.

Abstract: A keyboard apparatus in which the radius of turning motion of a mainly operated portion of each black key in a key depressing/releasing direction is maximized so as to enhance the operability of the black key for performance. The keyboard apparatus has a key frame formed with fixing parts. In the key frame, there are arranged a plurality of key units each having a plurality of white keys and a plurality of black keys integrally connected to a common base end part held by the fixing parts of the key frame. Each of the white keys and the black keys comprises a base end part, a key main body, and a hinge part connecting the key main body to the base end part such that the key main body is swingable about the base end part in the key depressing/releasing direction, and the hinge part of each of the black keys is located rearward of the hinge part of each of the white keys.

Abstract: Key frame has a key support section that pivotably supports thereon a plurality of keys. Hammer structures are pivotably provided in corresponding relation to and below the keys, each of which pivots in interlocked relation to depression operation of a corresponding one of the keys. On a rear portion of the key frame, there is provided an upper stopper that is elongated and extends in a direction where the keys are arranged. The upper stopper defines an upper end limit of pivoting movement of each of the hammer structures. Opening portion is formed between the key support section and the upper stopper. Wiring cable connected to a circuit board, having switches corresponding to the keys, is run below the key support section, then passed through the opening portion and thence drawn upwardly beyond the upper stopper so that it is led out to a region above the upper stopper.

Abstract: A keyboard apparatus is including a plurality of keys and a plurality of mass members provided under the respective keys to be pivotably supported on a keyboard frame being a support member, each of the mass members extends along a longitudinal direction of the key and has a mass concentration part in its rear end portion, and when not driven by a mass driving part of the key, each of the mass members is in an inclined state with the mass concentration part being at the lowest descended position. The keyboard frame has a rib provided between two adjacent mass members among the plural mass members, and at least part of a lower edge of the rib is formed along lower edges of the mass members in the inclined state.

Abstract: A keyboard apparatus having a construction which can maintain an excellent balance in touch feeling between white keys and black keys and can be made compact in size in the longitudinal direction. The driven part of each of mass bodies associated with respective white keys and the driven part of each of mass bodies associated with respective black keys are at the same longitudinal location, and at the same time the distance between the driven part of each black key-associated mass body and a pivotal motion support associated therewith is longer than the distance between the driven part of each white key-associated mass body and a pivotal motion support associated therewith.

Abstract: A key unit having a white key unit and a black key unit in which main bodies of a plurality of white keys and black keys, respectively, are coupled to respective common key support parts via coupling parts pivotably in a key depression direction is mounted on a keyboard frame. In the black key unit, a total width in a key arrangement direction of each of the coupling parts is wider than a key width of the black key main body, whereby the coupling parts restrict yawing in a key width direction when the black keys are depressed/released. In the white key unit, each of the coupling parts is narrower in total width in the key arrangement direction than each of the coupling parts in the black key unit, and guide parts are provided on free end sides of the white keys to restrict yawing in the key arrangement direction.

Abstract: A key operation detection unit of an electronic keyboard instrument that suppresses increase in reaction forces with key depression operation, to improve a key touch feeling. A depression operation of any one of keys of the keyboard instrument is detected by first and second corresponding detectors of the detection unit. The detectors are surrounded by an outer resilient projection and each comprised of an inner resilient projection and a movable portion extending therefrom toward a base plate of the unit. With key depression, the movable portion of the first detector is in contact with the base plate and its inner resilient projection is deformed to generate a reaction force. With further key depression, the inner resilient projection of the second detector brought in contact with the base plate is deformed to generate a reaction force smaller than the reaction force from the first detector.

Abstract: There is provided an electric keyboard assembly having a construction which is capable of reducing a height of a keyboard and at the same time facilitating key scaling to key-touch response while maintaining the degree of freedom in designing the keyboard. A key is pivotally moved by a key depressing operation. A seesaw-type mass member having a front extension and a rear extension each extending from a pivot-receiving portion thereof, and a tone-generating position adjustment screw fitted in the front extension is pivotally moved about the pivot-receiving portion by a driving force generated by depression of the key and received via the tone-generating position adjustment screw. The front extension of the mass member pops up to a level higher than the key when the key is depressed. A front weight and a back weight are arranged separately in the front extension and in the rear extension, respectively.

Abstract: In a control system for an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders whose operation of the engine can be switched between full-cylinder operation during which all of the cylinders are operative and cut-off-cylinder operation during which some of the cylinders are non-operative, and running control, i.e., either cruise control during which the vehicle is controlled to run at a desired vehicle velocity or preceding vehicle follow-up control during which the vehicle is controlled to run at a desired vehicle velocity to maintain a desired inter-vehicle distance from a preceding vehicle, is performed in response to an instruction of an operator, it is judged whether a velocity error between a detected vehicle velocity and the desired vehicle velocity and load of the engine are equal to or smaller than corresponding threshold values.