Patents by Inventor Youjiro Takabayashi

Youjiro Takabayashi 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: 6881892
    Abstract: A method is provided for designing an acoustic correction filter applicable to a stringed instrument, which is composed of a string member operable to undergo a vibration, a support member for supporting the string member, a body member responsive to the vibration transmitted through the support member for generating a natural sound and a mute attachment for muting the natural sound. The acoustic correction filter is operable when the natural sound is muted by the mute attachment for filtering a signal derived from the vibration so as to create an artificial sound instead of the muted natural sound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Hideo Miyazaki, Shinji Kishinaga, Youjiro Takabayashi
  • Publication number: 20040025675
    Abstract: A method is provided for designing an acoustic correction filter applicable to a stringed instrument, which is composed of a string member operable to undergo a vibration, a support member for supporting the string member, a body member responsive to the vibration transmitted through the support member for generating a natural sound and a mute attachment for muting the natural sound. The acoustic correction filter is operable when the natural sound is muted by the mute attachment for filtering a signal derived from the vibration so as to create an artificial sound instead of the muted natural sound.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2003
    Publication date: February 12, 2004
    Applicant: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Hideo Miyazaki, Shinji Kishinaga, Youjiro Takabayashi
  • Patent number: 6031174
    Abstract: A method of generating a musical tone signal having the steps of selecting one of a plurality of phrases in response to manipulation of a phrase select operator by a user, and reading performance data of the selected phrase from performance data pre-stored by the phrase to generate a musical tone signal of the read performance data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 29, 2000
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Youjiro Takabayashi
  • Patent number: 4951546
    Abstract: For elimination of an error made in a sound production, an electronic fretted and stringed musical instrument operates in a parameter adjusting mode of operation prior to a playing mode of operation, and the fret positions are adjusted for actual fret members in the parameter adjusting mode of operation for precisely deciding the fret position where a string is engaged, thereby allowing a sound with a note assigned to the decided fret position to be produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 28, 1990
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Youjiro Takabayashi, Takashi Norimatsu
  • Patent number: 4947726
    Abstract: An electronic musical instrument having (a) a body portion, (b) a plurality of fret members located at predetermined spacings on the body portion, (c) a string stretched over the body portion, (d) an anchoring device installed on the body portion for anchoring one end of the string, (e) a probe located under the string and between the anchoring device and the plural fret members for making a lateral movement responsive to a deviation of the string in a lateral direction, and (f) a string deviation detector connected to the probe for detecting the deviation of the string based on the lateral movement of the probe and producing a detection signal responsive to the deviation of the string.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 14, 1990
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Youjiro Takabayashi
  • Patent number: 4723468
    Abstract: An electronic stringed instrument includes strings, a plurality of metal frets, an ultrasonic transmitter/receiver, and a fret discriminator. The strings are kept taut above an instrument body. The frets are arranged below the strings along their extension direction. When a player depresses a given string to be picked, at least one of the metal frets is brought into contact with the given string. The transmitter/receiver is coupled to specified positions of the strings and causes ultrasonic vibrations of the strings and receives an echo vibration generated as a reflection of the ultrasonic vibration at a fret contacting the given string. The fret discriminator discriminates the fret contacting the string among the metal frets according to the time difference between the generation of the ultrasonic vibration and the receipt of the echo vibration by the transmitter/receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1986
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1988
    Assignee: Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Youjiro Takabayashi, Masahiro Ikuma, Takashi Norimatsu
  • Patent number: 4608905
    Abstract: A tremolo apparatus with tuning function for an electric guitar including a bridge base disposed on a body of the guitar in such a manner as to freely tilt vertically, a plural number of octave tuning members disposed on the bridge base corresponding to respective strings and movable in a stretching direction of the strings for effecting octave tuning, a plural number of octave tuning screws which independently move and adjust respective octave tuning members in a stretching direction of the strings, a plural number of string holding members disposed respectively in the octave tuning members in such a manner as to freely move in the stretching direction of the strings for holding one end of each string, a plural number of tensile force control mechanisms serving to independently move and adjust respective string holding members in a stretching direction of the strings, and a balance spring providing the bridge base with a balancing movement acting in the direction opposite to the direction of the movement giv
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1985
    Date of Patent: September 2, 1986
    Assignee: Nippon Gakki Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Youjiro Takabayashi
  • Patent number: 4608906
    Abstract: A tremolo unit mechanism for electric guitar comprising bridge bodies respectively provided on a bridge base which correspond to respective strings, each of the bridge bodies having a slanted top surface and a string inserting hole. A rocker arm is mounted on the bridge body which pivotally moves in a vertical direction to firmly press the string with the front end portion of the slanted top surface of the bridge body when a locking screw is screwed into the rear end of the rocker arm and press the rear end of the bridge body. An octave tuning screw is connected to the bridge body, which moves the bridge body in the length-wise direction of the string to effect harmonic tuning of the string. A string locking device is provided between the nut and the tuning pegs. The string locking device includes a height adjusting spacer and a string locking block which is provided on the spacer and has front and rear walls with a space in between.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1985
    Date of Patent: September 2, 1986
    Assignee: Nippon Gakki Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Youjiro Takabayashi
  • Patent number: 4126073
    Abstract: An electric guitar has a neck of a unitary elongated construction which is coupled to and extends through the body at least up to a location where a bridge and a tail piece are provided, and at least one member of a relatively hard wooden or light metallic material interconnecting the base portion of the neck to the body, whereby the acoustic characteristics of the guitar are greatly improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1976
    Date of Patent: November 21, 1978
    Assignee: Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Youjiro Takabayashi