Patents by Inventor Shimaji Okamoto

Shimaji Okamoto has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 4974485
    Abstract: In an electronic musical instrument of the waveshape memory type including at least one waveshape memory for storing and reproducing sample values of a musical sound wave to be generated, the waveshape memory stores the sample values of the complete waveshape of a musical tone with a shaped envelope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1983
    Date of Patent: December 4, 1990
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Yohei Nagai, Shimaji Okamoto
  • Patent number: 4967635
    Abstract: In an electronic musical instrument of the waveshape memory type including at least one waveshape memory for storing and reproducing sample values of a musical sound wave to be generated, the waveshape memory stores the sample values of the complete waveshape of a musical tone with a shaped envelope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 6, 1990
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Yohei Nagai, Shimaji Okamoto
  • Patent number: 4763553
    Abstract: In an electronic musical instrument of the waveshape memory type including at least one waveshape memory for storing and reproducing sample values of a musical sound wave to be generated, the waveshape memory stores the sample values of the complete waveshape of a musical tone with a shaped envelope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1985
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1988
    Assignee: Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yohei Nagai, Shimaji Okamoto
  • Patent number: 4641564
    Abstract: A musical tone producing device of a waveform readout type has a reference waveform memory and a difference waveform memory.The reference waveform memory stores a reference waveform which is similar commonly to each of divided waveforms belonging to a plurality of blocks into which a musical tone waveform of a musical tone to be produced is divided.The difference waveform memory stores difference waveforms, each of which is a difference between the reference waveform and each of divided waveforms.The reproduction of the musical tone waveform is accomplished by reading out the reference waveform and the difference waveforms successively and by successively adding the read out reference waveform and the difference waveforms. This musical tone waveform synthesis according to utilization of difference waveforms contributes to the reduction of memory size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1984
    Date of Patent: February 10, 1987
    Assignee: Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shimaji Okamoto
  • Patent number: 4383462
    Abstract: In an electronic musical instrument of the waveshape memory type including at least one waveshape memory for storing and reproducing sample values of a musical sound wave to be generated, the waveshape memory stores the sample values of the complete waveshape of a musical tone with a shaped envelope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 1979
    Date of Patent: May 17, 1983
    Assignee: Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yohei Nagai, Shimaji Okamoto
  • Patent number: 4351212
    Abstract: An electronic musical instrument comprises a note code producer for producing note codes respectively having n bits representing juxtaposed notes aligned by a semitone interval step. The note codes to be generated are selected from a binary code table consisting of successively aligned binary values corresponding to an order of alignment of the notes in a musical scale and the table omits either one of the largest and smallest values to be represented by the lowest m bits (n>m). A modified note code generator produces modified note codes by repetitively adding the lowest m bits of each note code to further lower order digits below the least significant bit of each note code, and a sound system generates musical tones having frequencies corresponding to the modified note codes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1980
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1982
    Assignee: Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shimaji Okamoto, Yohei Nagai
  • Patent number: 4301704
    Abstract: An electronic musical instrument generates musical tone signals by digitally executing the calculations of equations representing frequency modulation. The instrument comprises a keyboard information generating circuit for generating key information concerning depressed key numbers and key touch information concerning key operation, a plurality of system parameter generating circuits for providing parameter information in response to the outputs of a tone color selecting switch section, a plurality of system musical tone signal forming sections each for producing musical tone signals through the digital calculation of the FM equation in accordance with the abovementioned informations, and a musical tone generating section for producing musical tones by combining the musical tone signals provided by the musical tone signal forming sections, the musical tone signal forming sections calculating the FM equation by using different parameters provided by the parameter generating circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1978
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1981
    Assignee: Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yohei Nagai, Tetsuo Nishimoto, Shimaji Okamoto
  • Patent number: 4257303
    Abstract: An electronic musical instrument of a partials synthesis type and the partials are processed in a time division multiplex fashion. One cycle of the time division multiplex sequence consists of a plurality of processing time slots, which are divided into two to four groups. Each group of time slots are used for processing partials which form a discrete musical tone. Thus two to four types of musical tones can be formed at the same time, which realizes an ensemble performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1979
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1981
    Assignee: Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yohei Nagai, Shimaji Okamoto
  • Patent number: 4138915
    Abstract: An electronic musical instrument of a waveshape memory type comprising: a plurality of waveshape memories for storing waveshapes of different tone color, and means for variably mixing the outputs of the plurality of waveshape memories for generating tone signals of varying tone color. The mixing ratio of the different waveshapes may be varied with the lapse of time or according to the touch of the key operation or to the tone pitch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1977
    Date of Patent: February 13, 1979
    Assignee: Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yohei Nagai, Shimaji Okamoto
  • Patent number: 4135424
    Abstract: A fully digitalized function-of-time generator suitable for use as a tone envelope generator in a digital electronic musical instrument, comprising: a clock pulse generator for generating a clock pulse at a selectable rate; a gate enabled at each arrival of the clock pulse; a single-stage binary shift register for successively shifting out its contents as a digital word representing the instantaneous values of a desired function of time synchronously with the clock pulse; a digital subtractor; a digital multiplier; and a digital adder, all of these members being interconnected to each other to be operative so that the output of the register is subtracted from a first set value representing a digital word, the resulting difference being multiplied by a second set value representing a digital word, the resulting product being added to the output of the register via the gate, so that the resulting sum is loaded into the register.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1977
    Date of Patent: January 23, 1979
    Assignee: Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shimaji Okamoto
  • Patent number: 4133242
    Abstract: A waveshape memory type electronic musical instrument produces a tone signal by cyclically reading wave value samples of a tone waveshape stored in a waveshape memory. The electronic musical instrument comprises a function generator for generating a periodic function signal which includes the mathematical product of an amplitude term varying as a function of time and a cyclic term of a selected frequency, and a multiplier for modulating a part of the tone waveshape by the periodic function signal, thereby producing a musical tone signal changing in waveshape as time lapses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1977
    Date of Patent: January 9, 1979
    Assignee: Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yohei Nagai, Shimaji Okamoto
  • Patent number: 4131049
    Abstract: A plurality of waveshape memories are provided for storing the sampled values of one cycle sinusoidal wave as the fundamental frequency, two cycle sinusoidal wave as the second harmonic, . . . and m cycle sinusoidal wave as the m-th harmonic and, in addition thereto, of harmonic-abundant complex waves such as a triangular wave, a sawtooth wave and a rectangular wave. These waveshape memories are read at the same reading rate. The read out sinusoidal waves and triangular, sawtooth and rectangular waves are controlled in their relative levels in accordance with the tone-color of an intended musical tone wave shape. The sinusoidal waves and the triangular, sawtooth and rectangular waves are thereafter synthesized to produce a desired tone-color wave shape. Since the triangular, sawtooth and rectangular waves contain abundant harmonic components, many kinds of musical tones containing abundant harmonic components can be produced despite a limited number of waveform memories.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1976
    Date of Patent: December 26, 1978
    Assignee: Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takatoshi Okumura, Shimaji Okamoto
  • Patent number: 4035582
    Abstract: A tremolo effect producing system comprises at least one electro-acoustic transducer such as a loudspeaker for converting an electrical audio signal to a sound, at least one acousto-electrical transducer such as a microphone for converting sound to an electrical signal and disposed so as to face the loudspeaker, and at least one sound shielding member rotatably mounted between the above-mentioned two transducers and having sound transmitting openings or cutouts whereby sounds from the speaker will be periodically and/or individually interrupted with fade-in and fade-out effects as said member is rotated. These transducers and sound shielding member are sealed in a closed housing. Thereby the sound wave emitted from the speaker through the openings or cutouts of the rotating member is converted to an electrical signal with natural tremolo effects by the microphone. The thus-produced signal may be mixed with an audio signal with non-tremolo effect and amplified and reproduced by a loudspeaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1975
    Date of Patent: July 12, 1977
    Assignee: Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shimaji Okamoto
  • Patent number: RE31821
    Abstract: A fully digitalized function-of-time generator suitable for use as a tone envelope generator in a digital electronic musical instrument, comprising: a clock pulse generator for generating a clock pulse at a selectable rate; a gate enabled at each arrival of the clock pulse; a single-stage binary shift register for successively shifting out its contents as a digital word representing the instantaneous values of a desired function of time synchronously with the clock pulse; a digital subtractor; a digital multiplier; and a digital adder, all of these members being interconnected to each other to be operative so that the output of the register is subtracted from a first set value representing a digital word, the resulting difference being multiplied by a second set value representing a digital word, the resulting product being added to the output of the register via the gate, so that the resulting sum is loaded into the register.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1980
    Date of Patent: February 5, 1985
    Assignee: Nippon Oakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shimaji Okamoto