Patents by Inventor Toshifumi Kunimoto

Toshifumi Kunimoto 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: 5591930
    Abstract: In a buffer memory are stored messages given to a specific task in order of arrival. Messages of same types may be stored in the buffer memory. In a different order from the order of arrival, a processing section performs task processing on the basis of the messages stored in the buffer memory. If two messages of a same type are present in the buffer memory, one of the messages which has arrived later than the other is processed with priority irrespective of the order of arrival, and the other message which has arrived earlier is deleted from the buffer memory. If there is present in the buffer memory such a message instructing transfer of parameters corresponding to a function that is not currently assigned, this message itself is deleted from the buffer memory as being ineffective, so as to process a next message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1997
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Kakishita, Toshifumi Kunimoto
  • Patent number: 5521325
    Abstract: An apparatus for synthesizing a musical tone comprises a loop circuit for circulating an input wave form signal through a delay circuit, a wave form memory, and a random modulation circuit for modulating the wave form signal stored in the wave form memory. The random modulation circuit generates a random signal, such as a noise signal. The random signal modulates address data to the wave form memory, so that the read wave form data read out from the wave form memory is delicately varied with time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1996
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Chifumi Takeuchi, Toshifumi Kunimoto, Norio Suzuki, Takaaki Muto
  • Patent number: 5519167
    Abstract: In a musical tone synthesizing apparatus, employed by an electronic musical instrument, an excitation signal circulates through a waveguide to form a musical tone signal corresponding to a synthesized musical tone. The waveguide is configured by a loop circuit containing an adder, a delay circuit, a filter and an amplifier. A delay time used for the delay circuit is determined in response to a tone pitch of a musical tone to be produced, while a filter coefficient used for the filter is determined in response to a tone color of the musical tone to be produced. A multiplication coefficient used for the multiplier is generated in accordance with one of the tone pitch and delay time; or the multiplication coefficient is computed on the basis of the tone pitch and a decay rate which is set by a performer. In addition, a different multiplication coefficient can be generated in response to a state of an envelope waveform of the musical tone to be produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 21, 1996
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Toshifumi Kunimoto, Hideyuki Masuda, Toru Kitayama
  • Patent number: 5508469
    Abstract: A musical tone synthesizing apparatus comprises a digital signal processor (i.e., DSP), a main memory and a sub memory. The main memory stores main instructions, while the sub memory stores sub instructions. In accordance with the main instructions and the sub instructions, the DSP performs several kinds of arithmetical operations in a time-division manner. Herein, the main instructions embody algorithms representing a sound source which contains a non-linear table. The contents of the non-linear table represents a non-linear characteristic of a musical instrument to be simulated. Values to be stored in the non-linear table are calculated in accordance with a predetermined mathematical computation utilizing a series expansion, a recurrence formula and the like. By rewriting the contents of the non-linear table, a non-linear characteristic to be applied to musical tone signals is altered in real time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 16, 1996
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Toshifumi Kunimoto, Masahiro Kakishita
  • Patent number: 5477004
    Abstract: A musical tone waveform signal generating apparatus in which a waveform signal is circulated to generate a musical tone waveform signal. The apparatus includes an excitation portion for mixing an excitation control signal with the waveform signal and for non-linearly converting the mixed waveform signal and a signal transmission portion coupled with the excitation portion to feed back the converted waveform signal to the excitation portion with delay of a predetermined time for causing on the converted waveform signal a resonance frequency corresponding with a pitch of a musical tone to be generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 19, 1995
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Toshifumi Kunimoto
  • Patent number: 5461189
    Abstract: Electronic musical instrument comprises a musical tone synthesis device, a memory and pitch control device. The musical tone synthesis device processes input signals based on at least one parameter, and synthesizes and outputs musical tones with pitches in accordance with the values of the parameters. The memory stores initial values of the parameters which generate a musical tone having a target pitch. The pitch control device detects a difference between the target pitch of the musical tone and a pitch of the musical tone outputted form the musical tone synthesis device. And, the pitch control device outputs a value of the parameter which will eliminate the difference to the musical tone synthesis device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 24, 1995
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Iwao Higashi, Mitsuru Fukui, Toshifumi Kunimoto
  • Patent number: 5459280
    Abstract: A musical tone synthesizing apparatus for generating a musical tone which is influenced not only by blowing pressure and embouchure, etc. but also effected by the movement of a performer's tongue. The apparatus comprises an operating part WC having a mouthpiece part and a reed part; a breath measuring sensor for measuring breath passing through the mouthpiece part; a tonguing detector for measuring the relative position of a performer's tongue to the reed part; a musical tone forming circuit TC for simulating the mouthpiece, the reed, and the resonance tube of the acoustic wind instrument in response to an output signal of the breath measuring sensor so as to create a musical tone signal; and a tonguing effector for changing a simulating characteristic of the reed of the acoustic wind instrument in response to an output signal of the tonguing detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 17, 1995
    Assignee: Yamaha Corportion
    Inventors: Hideyuki Masuda, Toshifumi Kunimoto
  • Patent number: 5451711
    Abstract: A musical tone waveform signal generating apparatus in which a waveform signal is circulated to generate a musical tone waveform signal. The apparatus includes an excitation portion for mixing an excitation control signal with the waveform signal and for non-linearly converting the mixed waveform signal and a signal transmission portion coupled with the excitation portion to feed back the converted waveform signal to the excitation portion with delay of a predetermined time for causing on the converted waveform signal a resonance frequency corresponding with a pitch of a musical tone to be generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 19, 1995
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Toshifumi Kunimoto
  • Patent number: 5438156
    Abstract: An acoustic wind instrument having a conical tube is simulated by two cylindrical tubes communicated to each other at each one end. A parallel connection of electrical signal transmission lines, each simulating a cylindrical tube constitute a synthesizer synthesizing the sound of the conical acoustic wind instrument. Each signal transmission line includes a shift register for giving a delay to the input signal, a multiplier for simulating sound reflection, and a filter for affording a tone color. An exciting signal is injected at the interconnection of the parallel connection through a junction circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 1, 1995
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Hideyuki Masuda, Toshifumi Kunimoto
  • Patent number: 5428185
    Abstract: A musical tone synthesizing apparatus synthesizes musical tones by simulating the tone generation construction of an acoustic musical instrument. The acoustic musical instrument comprises of a tone generating element and a tone generating operator for exciting the tone generating element, thereby creating reciprocally propagating vibration within the tone generating element. The musical tone synthesizing apparatus has a parameter producing portion which automatically produces a plurality of control parameters used for controlling a simulation of the acoustic musical instrument in response to operational information representing the operation applied to the acoustic musical instrument by a performer, musical tone synthesizing portion which synthesizes a musical tone of the acoustic musical instrument, wherein the operation of the musical tone synthesizing portion is controlled in accordance with the control parameters. The parameter producing portion includes, for example, keyboard apparatus having a keyboard.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 27, 1995
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Toshifumi Kunimoto, Mitsuru Fukui
  • Patent number: 5380950
    Abstract: A filter operation unit includes an operation circuit for receiving a digital tone signal and an operation parameter and digitally operating the tone signal with the operation parameter, a memory circuit for storing result of the operation and a connection switching circuit for establishing a filter operation algorithm by switching the mode of connection of the operation circuit and the memory circuit in response to a control signal. A control signal corresponding to a desired filter operation algorithm and an operation parameter for realizing a desired filter characteristic in the filter operation algorithm are generated by a control circuit and supplied to the filter operation unit. By switching the function of the filter operation unit, a filter characteristic corresponding to a desired filter operation algorithm can be selectively realized by employing one filter operation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 10, 1995
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Toshifumi Kunimoto
  • Patent number: 5359146
    Abstract: A musical tone synthesizing apparatus provides a time-varying signal processing circuit the transfer function of which gradually varies over time in order to gradually vary over time the tone color of a synthesized musical tone. A number of time-varying signal processing circuits are presented. An interpolation-type-time-varying signal processing circuit is provided with interpolators for interpolating control parameters generated based on a desired musical tone, a signal processing circuit carrying out a signal operation based on the interpolated control parameters on an input signal incomming thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 25, 1994
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Funaki, Iwao Higashi, Toru Kitayama, Hideyuki Masuda, Toshifumi Kunimoto
  • Patent number: 5354947
    Abstract: An apparatus for forming musical tone signals includes a playing operator and a tone signal synthesizing section for simulating a natural musical instrument, wherein a part of the tone signal synthesizing section, that is a part selectable for tone synthesization with respect to a plurality of tones is provided as connectable from external, and wherein storage means for storing procedure and parameters for synthesizing a musical tone signal is further provided as connectable from external.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 11, 1994
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Toshifumi Kunimoto, Yoichiro Ogai
  • Patent number: 5340942
    Abstract: A musical tone synthesizing apparatus conducts musical tone synthesis based on the tone generation mechanism of an acoustic musical instrument, and generates quickly and accurately desired musical tones in response to the operation of the beginning of tone generation. The musical tone synthesizing apparatus includes a performance data generation mechanism which generates performance data in accordance with performance operations, an excitation circuit, which generates an excitation signal in correspondence with the performance data, and a signal loop circuit which delays the excitation signal by a fixed period and repeatedly cycles the excitation signal. The performance data generation mechanism, furthermore, supplies an initial excitation control signal, which is for the purpose of exciting the signal loop circuit, to the excitation circuit during the initial generation of a musical tone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 23, 1994
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Toshifumi Kunimoto
  • Patent number: 5332862
    Abstract: A musical tone synthesizing apparatus includes a linear operation device, a non-linear operation device and a musical tone modification device. When the linear operation device receives a progressive wave signal, the device progresses and delays the signal, and outputs the progressed and delayed signal. The non-linear operation device varies the signal outputted by the linear operation device according to a musical tone control signal, and generates the varied signal as a new progressive wave signal. The musical tone modification device receives a plurality of signals extracted from the linear operation device or the non-linear operation device, creates a first signal and a second signal based on the plurality of signals, varying the first signal in accordance with the second signal, and provides the varied first signal as a musical tone signal to be synthesized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 26, 1994
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Kakishita, Toshifumi Kunimoto
  • Patent number: 5308918
    Abstract: The present invention provides a signal delay circuit for substantially steplessly changing a delay interval. The signal delay circuit is composed essentially of a delay controller, a first delay circuit, and a second delay circuit. The delay controller generates and outputs control data consisting of a real number bearing control information for controlling the delay interval, the real number consists of an integral portion and a fractional portion. The first delay circuit receives an incidental signal, delays the incidental signal for creating a first intermediate signal, and outputs the first intermediate signal, the first intermediate signal being delayed with respect to the incidental signal by an interval which is a product of a predetermined cardinal interval and the integral portion of the real number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1994
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Yamauchi, Toshifumi Kunimoto, Chifumi Takeuchi, Iwao Higashi
  • Patent number: 5304734
    Abstract: A musical tone synthesizing apparatus for synthesizing musical tones generated by acoustic instruments. In the musical tone synthesizing apparatus, a closed loop circuit is provided to simulate the vibration of a vibrating element, for example, a string of piano. Additionally provided is a excitation and damping control unit for generating signals to be introduced to the closed loop circuit. When generating musical tones, the excitation and damping control unit generates an excitation signal corresponding to the excitation operation applied to the vibrating element from a excitation element, for example, a hamper of piano. When damping the musical tones, the excitation and damping control unit generates a signal corresponding to the excitation operation applied to the vibrating element from a damping element, for example, a damper of piano.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 19, 1994
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Toshifumi Kunimoto
  • Patent number: 5286915
    Abstract: An electronic musical instrument for realizing touch at the time of the manipulating of a manipulator such as a keyboard faithfully reflected on the resulting musical tone. The electronic musical instrument has acceleration pickups respectively attached to keys in the keyboard, and tone synthesizing portions respectively driven on the basis of signals obtained by integrating acceleration detection signals outputted from the acceleration pickups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 15, 1994
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Komano, Toshifumi Kunimoto
  • Patent number: 5278349
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling a musical tone in an electronic musical instrument which has a plurality of keys and a plurality of tone generation channels, the apparatus includes a detecting device for detecting a depression state of the plurality of keys, a counter for counting number of key which are simultaneously depressed when key depression is detected, an assigning device for assigning predetermined number of the tone generation channels to each of depressed keys so as to substantially stabilize number of entire assigned generation channels, in accordance with a counted value of the counter, a loudspeaker for generating tone signal from the predetermined number of tone generation channels assigned by the assigning device. In the apparatus, even if the number of keys to be depressed is changed, the number of tones to be simultaneously produced is not greatly changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 11, 1994
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Takaaki Mutoh, Toshifumi Kunimoto
  • Patent number: 5272275
    Abstract: A tone signal synthesizer for simulating musical tones of a brass instrument faithfully. A nonlinear portion and a pipe linear portion are combined to simulate a brass instrument. The nonlinear portion has a resonance circuit having a resonance frequency in the vicinity of the frequency of a musical tone on the basis of an upper model, and a resonance circuit having a low resonance frequency on the basis of an outer model. Not only oscillation in the frequency of the musical tone is made by the former, but the instability of a brass instrument upon starting of tone generation is simulated by the latter. Further, not only a random number generation circuit gives a random number component to a flow rate signal, but a function table and a multiplier make the level of the random number component proportional to the square root of the flow rate signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 21, 1993
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Toshifumi Kunimoto