Tone Synthesis Or Timbre Control Patents (Class 84/622)
  • Patent number: 6809248
    Abstract: A CPU 31 reads out musical tone control information such as tone color data and effect data from an external storage device 35 or retrieves it via an interface circuit 51. The CPU 31 supplies the musical tone control information to a tone generator 41 and an effect circuit 42 in order to control the tone color of a musical tone signal and the effect added to the signal, using the musical tone control information. When the musical tone control information is not applicable to the tone generator 41 and the effect circuit 42, the information is substituted by musical tone control information applicable to the tone generator 41 and effect circuit 42 and stored in a ROM 33 for the use later on. On a display unit 13 there is displayed the name of substituted tone color data or effect data with information that a substitution has been made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2004
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Torimura
  • Patent number: 6806413
    Abstract: An oscillator for digital music synthesis that provides a smooth waveform that is rich in harmonic content and whose shape is continuously and dynamically variable over a wide range of harmonically rich shapes. The oscillator is efficient in that it generates the shapes in a time consonant with sampling rates commonly used in music synthesis, and is generally free of discontinuities which would otherwise create audible alias components on subsequent signal processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignee: Young Chang Akki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Robert Chidlaw, Ralph Muha
  • Publication number: 20040187671
    Abstract: An electronic musical instrument is composed of a main body portion and parts such as an upper keyboard, a lower keyboard, and so on that are selected from among parts of a high-grade and low-grade in accordance with the model thereof and placed in the main body portion, in which a ROM stores control programs necessary for control of the electronic musical instrument of the high-grade model and low-grade model so that a CPU selects any of these and executes it. The selection is performed in accordance with an ON/OFF state of a limit switch provided to correspond to one of the parts. A portion of the part is made to have a different shape depending on the grade, so that when the part is placed in the main body portion, the limit switch comes into an ON/OFF state in accordance with the grade of the part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2004
    Publication date: September 30, 2004
    Applicant: YAMAHA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Norihisa Aoki
  • Patent number: 6784355
    Abstract: An electronic musical apparatus such as an electronic musical instrument can be easily customized in accordance with a user's preference. Electronic musical instrument 20A and personal computers 40A, 40B can access server 50 via internet 10. A database that stores musical tone control data for controlling the generation of musical tone signals is provided in memory device 59 disposed in main body part 52 of server 50. Information on applicable apparatus types is annexed to the musical tone control data. At the time of purchasing electronic musical instruments 20A to 20C, the user is given a user identification data ID that can specify the apparatus types of electronic musical instruments 20A to 20C. With the use of this identification data ID, the user downloads the applicable musical tone control data from server 50 to electronic musical instrument 20A or to electronic musical instruments 20B, 20C via personal computers 40A, 40B.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuaki Gyoten, Shigeki Akahori
  • Publication number: 20040159217
    Abstract: There is provided a musical tone reproducing apparatus, which stores tone color parameters in a general-purpose storage means, to thereby shorten the time taken for a tone color changing process. A CPU 10 registers a tone color parameter group that has been read out from a RAM 11 in a tone generator memory 30, which is a general-purpose memory, in advance. The tone color parameters required when a tone generation core 33 carries out musical tone reproduction are stored in a cache memory 32 for all channels. Upon the CPU 10 giving a tone color changing command to a controller 31, a specified tone color parameter is read out from the tone generator memory 30. The tone color parameter for a specified channel in the cache memory 32 is then rewritten with the read out tone color parameter. The tone generation core 33 reads out from the cache memory 32 the rewritten tone color parameter set for each channel, and hence musical tone reproduction with a changed tone color is carried out.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2003
    Publication date: August 19, 2004
    Applicant: YAMAHA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yasuyuki Murakii
  • Patent number: 6770806
    Abstract: A music apparatus is constructed for processing a music tone signal in response to a clock signal at each sampling period. In the music apparatus, a clock generator generates the clock signal. A signal processor is operable in synchronization to the clock signal for time-divisionally processing a plurality of music tone signals through a plurality of channels within one sampling period. A clock controller is operative during a supply duration allocated within one sampling period for supplying the clock signal to the signal processor from the clock generator to thereby operate the signal processor, and is operative during other than the supply duration within one sampling period for stopping the supplying of the clock signal to the signal processor to thereby suspend the signal processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhisa Okamura, Tetsuji Ichiki
  • Patent number: 6762357
    Abstract: Resonance is realized at a desired plurality of tone pitches even after the musical tone signals of a plurality of channels have been synthesized; synthesized musical tone signals are successively delayed, the musical tone signals that are successively delayed are weighted, synthesized and output; the delayed, weighted, synthesized and outputted musical tone signals are fed back, and a series of successive delays, weights, synthesizes and outputs by the feed back are repeated and thus resonance characteristics is imparted; the amount of weighting the musical tone signals successively delayed is determined based upon a relationship among the delay feedback period, the period of sampling the generated musical tone signals and the tone pitch period of the resonance sound imparted with resonance characteristics, and a frequency of the resonance characteristics are determined; Therefore, the resonance characteristics are added at a desired tone pitch after the plurality of musical tone signals are synthesized into
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: Kawai Musical Instruments Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yutaka Washiyama, Seiji Okamoto
  • Patent number: 6756532
    Abstract: A method generates waveform signals from a plurality of channels to sound a music tone through an electro-acoustic converter in response to sounding instruction information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Masatada Wachi, Masahiro Shimizu, Tsuyoshi Futamase
  • Patent number: 6740802
    Abstract: “The Instant Musician, Recording Artist and Composer” permits ordinary computer users to select an instrument and music number from their computer screen and immediately start playing the selected instrument by simply typing letters displayed on their computer screens. It also may serve as a learning tool for learning how to play classical instruments by depicting the physical parts of the instrument to be activated with each note entered into the keyboard. Additional features allow personal computer user to make recordings of multiple instruments (and voice) numbers with altered sound spectrum, if desired, as well as composing their own music by simply clicking a mouse, modifying other music scores, humming, whistling or any other sound input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Inventor: Bernard H. Browne, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20040094020
    Abstract: A method and device for audio streaming, wherein audio signals indicative of voice are encoded by a voice-specific encoder (such as AMR-WB) and embedded in a first bitstream, and audio signals indicative of instrumental sounds are encoded by a different encoder, such as an SP-MIDI synthesizer, and embedded in a second bitstream for transmission. In the decoder, a voice-specific decoder is used to reconstruct the voice signals based on the first bitstream, and a synthesizer-type decoder is used to reconstruct the instrumental sounds based on the second bitstream. The reconstructed voice signals and the reconstructed instrumental sounds are dynamically mixed for playback.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2002
    Publication date: May 20, 2004
    Applicant: Nokia Corporation
    Inventors: Ye Wang, Matti Hamalainen
  • Patent number: 6727420
    Abstract: Style-of-rendition identification information representing a style of rendition of a performance tone is received, and reference is made to a predetermined table on the basis of the received style-of-rendition identification information to thereby obtain, from the table, style-of-rendition module data corresponding to the received style-of-rendition identification information. Waveform is produced on the basis of the obtained style-of-rendition module data. The style-of-rendition module data is data representing behavior of a waveform to be produced in accordance with a style of rendition and may include data representing characteristic behavior of vectors that control the waveform to be reproduced. The behavior of the waveform can be defined by various waveform factors. The vectors include, for example, vectors of various fundamental waveform factors for producing the waveform, such as a waveform shape, pitch, amplitude and time axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2004
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Hideo Suzuki, Hideyuki Masuda, Motoichi Tamura, Satoshi Usa, Yasuyuki Umeyama
  • Patent number: 6723910
    Abstract: A reverberation generation processor. The reverberation generation processor generates a specific auditory signal according to a predetermined virtual environment having characteristics of spatial dimension, sound reflection, and decline. The natural sequence generator generates a natural sequence having a predetermined number of items according to the characteristics of the virtual environment. The sequence adjusting device adjusts gains of the items and a time scale between the items of the natural sequence and outputs an audio signal. The filter processor filters a predetermined frequency band of the audio signal according to the characteristics of the virtual environment and divides the filtered audio signal into a high frequency audio signal and a low frequency audio signal. The high frequency reverberation generator transforms the high frequency audio signal to a high frequency reverberation signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: Silicon Integrated Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Chih-Hsien Tsou, Wei-Peng Tsai
  • Publication number: 20040069124
    Abstract: There are provided a musical tone-generating apparatus which neither requires hardware having an increased circuit size nor imposes a heavy burden on a CPU thereof, and a mobile terminal apparatus including the musical tone-generating apparatus, as well as a musical tone-generating method, and a storage medium storing a program for executing the method. A CPU converts music contents data stored in a RAM to hardware tone generator control data, stores the resulting data into the RAM. In reproduction, the CPU reads out and sends the hardware tone generator control data to a hardware tone generator. A data decoder circuit of the hardware tone generator sequentially reads out the hardware tone generator control data from a FIFO and separates the read data into time management information and data of a parameter for generation of a musical tone, and sets the time management information to a counter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2003
    Publication date: April 15, 2004
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Murakai, Ichiro Futohashi
  • Patent number: 6718217
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a digital audio tone evaluating system comprising an analyzer for subjecting a digital signal related to voice and/or music to signal processing, thereby operating a factor which expresses the auditory tone quality of the voice and/or the music by the digital signal in a digitized form. The system can objectively evaluate auditory tone quality by digital audio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: JSR Corporation
    Inventors: Hironobu Shinohara, Kiyohiro Horie, Naraji Sakamoto, Tetsuo Fujihara
  • Publication number: 20040025672
    Abstract: Methods for assisting a technician in tuning a musical instrument exhibiting inharmonicity, such as a piano. If one aspect, a plurality of target frequencies are calculated using a table of preferred stretch values. In another aspect, target frequencies are calculated from multiple inharmonicity measurements during the time a tone generator is sounding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2003
    Publication date: February 12, 2004
    Inventor: David J. Carpenter
  • Publication number: 20040007120
    Abstract: A sound control apparatus is provided in a portable terminal for sounding a music tone in association with operation of the portable terminal, which is controlled by a main CPU. In the sound control apparatus, a memory memorizes music information representing a music tone and configuration information associated to a timbre of the music tone. An information acquiring section acquires the music information and the configuration information from the memory. A tone generating section is configured by the acquired configuration information to create a timbre specified by the configuration information. The tone generating section operates according to the acquired music information to generate the music tone being represented by the music information and having the specified timbre. A dedicated CPU is provided separately from the main CPU for controlling the memory, the information acquiring section and the tone generating section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2003
    Publication date: January 15, 2004
    Applicant: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Futamase, Yasushi Kurakake, Kensuke Ide, Shigehiko Mizuno, Shuzo Karakawa, Kosei Terada, Yutaka Hasegawa, Takashi Kunii
  • Patent number: 6677513
    Abstract: An audible tone is generated and attenuated over a wide frequency range, such as throughout the human audible range, the tone selectively being of short duration. During a tone period a digital representation of the sine of a requested tone frequency and amplitude is generated. During an attenuation period a digital representation of a moderately disturbed but continuous sine of decreasing amplitude is generated. During a decay period a digital representation of a continuous function which decays to zero from the zero approach point of the sine half wave is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Roger Sherman Rutter
  • Patent number: 6675141
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for converting the reproducing speed of an acoustic signal where, of the acoustic signals held in a data recording section 1, the input acoustic signal s1 (sampled for max. pitch cycle×2) is read from a process-start position P. A low-pass filter 7 controls the high-band component of the acoustic signal s1. A decimation section 8 performs appropriate down-sampling on a signal output from the low pass filter 7. The signal, thus down-sampled, is read into a signal buffer section 9. A down-sampled, input acoustic signal s2 is transferred from the signal buffer section 9 to a pitch-calculating section 3, which calculates a pitch cycle s3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Inoue, Masayuki Nishiguchi
  • Patent number: 6667433
    Abstract: A quadratic phase interpolation method for synthesis of musical tones incorporates both phase and frequency measurements at the boundaries of a data frame using a weighted least square algorithm approach. The approach assumes that the true frequency and phase at the two ends of a data frame conform to a quadratic phase model and that exact match between measured phase and frequency with the quadratic model is not necessary because of the noise in the measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Xiaoshu Qian, Yinong Ding
  • Patent number: 6653545
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed to permit real time, distributed performance by multiple musicians at remote locations. The latency of the communication channel is transferred to the behavior of the local instrument so that a natural accommodation is made by the musician. This allows musical events that actually occur simultaneously at remote locations to be played together at each location, though not necessarily simultaneously at all locations. This allows locations having low latency connections to retain some of their advantage. The amount of induced latency can be overridden by each musician.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignee: eJamming, Inc.
    Inventors: William Gibbens Redmann, Alan Jay Glueckman, Gail Susan Kantor
  • Patent number: 6646644
    Abstract: There is provided a database storing motion components, each of which includes motion information representative of a performance motion trajectory corresponding to a subdivided performance pattern for each musical instrument or part along with sounded point markers specifying tone-generation timing in the motion information. Motion components corresponding to the performance information are sequentially read out from the database to create basic motion information, and a three-dimensional picture is generated on the basis of the basic motion information and visually shown on a graphic display unit. Picture to be thus displayed can be selected optionally via a musical instrument change switch, player change switch and stage change switch, and the selected picture can be displayed in any desired direction by means of a viewpoint change switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Hideo Suzuki, Satoshi Sekine, Yoshimasa Isozaki, Tsuyoshi Miyaki
  • Patent number: 6646195
    Abstract: Multiple kernel-mode audio processing modules or filters are combined to form a module or filter graph. The graph is implemented in kernel-mode, reducing latency and jitter when handling audio data (e.g., MIDI data) by avoiding transfers of the audio data to user-mode applications for processing. A variety of different audio processing modules can be used to provide various pieces of functionality when processing audio data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Martin G. Puryear
  • Publication number: 20030205125
    Abstract: A sound control apparatus is provided in a portable terminal for sounding a music tone in association with operation of the portable terminal, which is controlled by a main CPU. In the sound control apparatus, a memory memorizes music information representing a music tone and configuration information associated to a timbre of the music tone. An information acquiring section acquires the music information and the configuration information from the memory. A tone generating section is configured by the acquired configuration information to create a timbre specified by the configuration information. The tone generating section operates according to the acquired music information to generate the music tone being represented by the music information and having the specified timbre. A dedicated CPU is provided separately from the main CPU for controlling the memory, the information acquiring section and the tone generating section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2003
    Publication date: November 6, 2003
    Applicant: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Futamase, Yasushi Kurakake, Kensuke Ide, Shigehiko Mizuno, Shuzo Karakawa, Kosei Terada, Yutaka Hasegawa, Takashi Kunii
  • Publication number: 20030200859
    Abstract: A sound control apparatus is provided in a portable terminal for sounding a music tone in association with operation of the portable terminal, which is controlled by a main CPU. In the sound control apparatus, a memory memorizes music information representing a music tone and configuration information associated to a timbre of the music tone. An information acquiring section acquires the music information and the configuration information from the memory. A tone generating section is configured by the acquired configuration information to create a timbre specified by the configuration information. The tone generating section operates according to the acquired music information to generate the music tone being represented by the music information and having the specified timbre. A dedicated CPU is provided separately from the main CPU for controlling the memory, the information acquiring section and the tone generating section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2003
    Publication date: October 30, 2003
    Applicant: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Futamase, Yasushi Kurakake, Kensuke Ide, Shigehiko Mizuno, Shuzo Karakawa, Kosei Terada, Yutaka Hasegawa, Takashi Kunii
  • Publication number: 20030196541
    Abstract: An acoustic control system for an electronic musical instrument, which can obtain optimal acoustic characteristics irrespective of whether or not a low range speaker is attached to a body thereof. A piano body has high range and mid range speakers. A low range speaker is removable from the body. A stand-excluding switch designates a first speaker-use mode for using the high range and mid range speakers alone, and a stand-including switch designates a both speaker-use mode for using both the high range and mid range speakers and the low range speaker. A ROM stores stand-excluding and stand-including factors for setting acoustic characteristics in the two modes, respectively. A CPU reads one of the factors, which corresponds to the mode designated by the stand-excluding or stand-including switch. A tone generator circuit generates a musical tone signal to be reproduced in one of the modes, based on the read factor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2003
    Publication date: October 23, 2003
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kawai Gakki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Tadayuki Ishida, Katsuhiko Torii
  • Patent number: 6629067
    Abstract: A range control system includes an input section for inputting a singing voice, a fundamental frequency extracting section for extracting a fundamental frequency of the inputted voice, and a pitch control section for performing a pitch control of the inputted voice so as to match the extracted fundamental frequency with a given frequency. The system further includes a formant extracting section for extracting a formant of the inputted voice, and a formant filter section for performing a filter operation relative to the pitch-controlled voice so that the pitch-controlled voice has a characteristic of the extracted formant. The system further includes an input loudness detecting section for detecting a first loudness of the inputted voice, and a loudness control section for controlling a second loudness of the voice subjected to the filter operation to match with the first loudness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kawai Gakki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Tsutomu Saito, Hiroshi Kato, Youichi Kondo
  • Publication number: 20030172799
    Abstract: A plurality of play style dependence tone colors belonging to one kind of musical instrument tone color but being different from one another in terms of play styles are respectively assigned to different values of velocity and note number. For example, play style dependence tone colors such as open soft and open middle of a steel guitar are assigned to tone pitch ranges C2 to B5, and the play style dependence tone colors are respectively assigned to different velocity values. Play style dependence tone colors such as strumming and fret noise of a steel guitar are assigned to tone pitch ranges C6 to G8, and the play style dependence tone colors are respectively assigned to different note number values. By setting the note number and velocity values in note-on event data in various ways, musical tone signals of various play style dependence tone colors are generated even if the program change and bank select data are not changed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2003
    Publication date: September 18, 2003
    Applicant: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Yasushi Sakurai, Thomas Koritke
  • Patent number: 6611592
    Abstract: A incoming-call tone generation device comprises: a first storage unit 1, for storing an effect calculation formula for incoming-call tone data; a second storage unit, for storing incoming-call tone data that consist of data for original sounds; a controller, for reading incoming-call tone data from the second storage unit and transmitting the data to a digital signal processor 4, and for controlling a D/A converter 5; the digital signal processor 4, for calculating an effect pattern and a sine wave using the calculation formula read from the first storage unit, and for performing an envelope process for the incoming-call tone data; the D/A converter 5, for converting, into analog data, digital incoming-call tone data obtained during the envelope process, and for outputting an analog incoming-call tone; and a loudspeaker 6 through which an analog incoming-call tone is released.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2003
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroki Sato, Koichiro Togao, Nobuhiro Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20030140771
    Abstract: When the inner product of signal eigenvalue vectors and azimuth vectors is transformed using an FFT and a MUSIC spectrum is calculated (Step 15), the inner product of noise eigenvalue vectors and azimuth vectors is transformed using the FFT and a MUSIC specturm is calculated (Step 17). A DOA is then estimated based on the MUSIC spectrum obtained (Step 16), thereby decreasing the quantity of calculations required for detecting a DOA of an incident wave using MUSIC algorithm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2002
    Publication date: July 31, 2003
    Inventor: Shigeki Ohshima
  • Patent number: 6600098
    Abstract: A method of converting performance information is carried out by the steps of receiving identification information that identifies an target tone generator different from an available tone generator, reading out first performance information that indicates a music performance in the form of a sequence of tones, and that includes timbre information specifying a timbre of the tones, and changing the timbre information included in the read first performance information based on the received identification information so as to generate second performance information including the changed timbre information adapted to the target tone generator. By such a manner, the available tone generator can process the second performance information to generate the sequence of tones having a timbre as if generated by the target tone generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Shigehiko Mizuno, Hiroyuki Masuda
  • Patent number: 6586667
    Abstract: A musical sound generator combines a software processing and a hardware processing. A sub CPU210 generates musical note data based on the musical score data 340. Main CPU110 refers to a sound source file, converts musical note data and generates PCM data. A sound processor 210 converts the musical note data at a sound synthesis circuit 221 to generate PCM data. D/A converter 222 converts the PCM data into analog signals. The speaker 300 receives the signals and emits the sound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2003
    Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc.
    Inventor: Toru Morita
  • Patent number: 6583347
    Abstract: A music apparatus has a central processor, a plurality of generator modules, and a program memory storing instructions for causing the central processor to execute a process of synthesizing a musical tone signal with the generator modules. The process includes the steps of commanding each of the generator modules to generate a predetermined number of samples of the musical tone signal at a common sampling period, and collecting the samples from each of the generator modules and processing the collected samples at the common sampling period to thereby synthesize the musical tone signal. The generator modules include a synchronous generator module that does generate the predetermined number of the samples at the common sampling period, and an asynchronous generator module that does not generate the predetermined number of the samples at the common sampling period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Motoichi Tamura
  • Patent number: 6576827
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for synthesis of sound. One method for synthesis of musical sound includes receiving a stream of packets including a preceding packet and a succeeding packet for reproducing the musical sound continuously along a time axis. Each packet contains identification information effective to specify vector data stored in a first storage device. According to the identification information in the preceding packet, vector data of the succeeding packet is predicted. The predicted vector data is transferred from the first storage device to a second storage device before the succeeding packet is received such that the predicted vector data can be cached in the second storage device. The cached vector data is retrieved from the second storage device when the succeeding packet is received and the identification information contained therein hits the cached vector data to thereby synthesize the musical sound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2003
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Motoichi Tamura
  • Patent number: 6573909
    Abstract: A display system for performing a multi-media work that includes image data and sound data associated with the image data. The system includes a display for displaying an image derived from said image data, an audio playback system for combining and playing first and second audio tracks, and a pointing system for selecting a region of the image on the display in response to commands from a user of the display system. The system also includes a playback processor for altering the combination of the first and second audio tracks played by the audio playback system in response to the pointing system selecting a new region. The playback processor also alters the display such that the portion of the image selected by the pointing system is centered in the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2003
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventor: Kagenori Nagao
  • Patent number: 6570082
    Abstract: Tone color selecting space is provided, where tone color data are allocated to addressable locations in association with tone color selection information in accordance with a predetermined tone color standard. Into the tone color selecting space can be loaded not only tone color data compliant with the predetermined tone color standard, but also other tone color data, such as those of a standard different from the predetermined tone color standard, loadable externally from an external source. In the tone color selecting space, a dedicated area is set for allocating the externally loaded tone color data. Thus, the externally loaded tone color data can be allocated to the dedicated area and selected in response to tone color selection information designating the dedicated area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Hirofumi Mukaino, Mikihiro Hiramatsu, Hiroshi Shimizu, Atsushi Fukada
  • Patent number: 6570081
    Abstract: A performance date editing system is designed to efficiently convert normal performance data to execution-related performance data with simple operations and without errors. Herein, data portions which are subjected to conversion to execution-related data are extracted from input performance data corresponding to MIDI data. In addition, it is possible to further extract specific types of data, which are related to prescribed musical parameters (or events) such as attack, release, modulation and accent-plus-duration, from the extracted data portions. Hence, the extracted data portions or the specific types of data being further extracted are subjected to conversion to the execution-related data, which are supplied to an execution-related sound source. Herein, a remaining part of the input performance data excluding the extracted data portions is supplied to a normal sound source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Hideo Suzuki, Masao Sakama
  • Publication number: 20030066412
    Abstract: There is provided a tone generating apparatus and method that enables recording and reproduction of performance made by a performer without requiring any complicated operations. Musical tones generated from a musical instrument are detected, and tone data is stored in a storage device, and the tone data stored in the storage device is reproduced and at least one tone corresponding to the tone data is egenrated when no next musical tone is detected within a predetermined period of time after a musical tone is detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2002
    Publication date: April 10, 2003
    Inventors: Yoshiki Nishitani, Kenichi Miyazawa, Eiko Kobayashi, Katsuhiko Masuda
  • Patent number: 6545210
    Abstract: A highly expandable musical sound generator using a sound library. Each module receives pointer structures as an argument and executes a processing. Each pointer structures includes attribute data pointers, input data pointers and output data pointers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
    Inventor: Toru Morita
  • Patent number: 6538189
    Abstract: A wind controller is disclosed which provides glitch-free playing of the instrument by using key position sensors which produce tristate logic signals indicating released, held, or transition positions of each key. Logic circuitry processes the key position signals and prevents any note from sounding when any of the keys is in transition between the released and held positions. The controller also allows the player to select alternate fingering charts which avoid “mine field” fingerings and which are created and downloaded to the wind controller using a personal computer. A set of chord keys and a computer program allows the player to register, without sounding, a series of notes to make up a chord using a registration key and an enable/disable key which alternately activates the last registered chord for playing or deactivates it to return to monophonic mode. Another registration key is provided to register another chord whereby an endless progression of chords can be played in succession.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Inventor: Russell A. Ethington
  • Patent number: 6535772
    Abstract: In generating tone waveform data for each fixed or variable section via software of a personal computer or the like, a generation start condition is changed depending on an application of the waveform data. When the waveform data is to be sounded in real time, various programs are activated in synchronism with predetermined cycles, such as tempo clock and frame cycles, in order to generate the waveform data at accurate timing. When, on the other hand, the waveform data is to be recorded in a waveform file, various programs are activated on condition that waveform data generation processing has already been completed for a preceding section. Such arrangements can eliminate limitations to processing times of the programs and thereby provide a tone waveform of high accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2003
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Hideo Miyamori, Yuichi Sekido
  • Patent number: 6534701
    Abstract: A functional storage module is removably connectable to an electronic apparatus as a storage medium of data. The module is composed of a memory core block, a sequencer block and a tone generator block. The memory core block stores various data including-music performance data for use in the electronic apparatus. The sequencer block retrieves the music performance data from the memory core block, and sequentially outputs instructions for synthesis of music tones according to the retrieved music performance data. The tone generator block operates in response to the instructions for carrying out the synthesis of the music tones, thereby outputting waveform data representative of the music tones to the electronic apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2003
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshimasa Isozaki
  • Patent number: 6525254
    Abstract: Tone control data are stored in a volatile first memory such as a RAM, and a color or other factor of a tone to be generated is set or controlled in accordance with the tone control data. User can set contents of the tone control data stored in the first memory. In response to the setting of the tone control data, the stored contents of the first memory are automatically transferred to and stored into a non-volatile second memory, at which time the tone control data are transferred to the second memory within an idle time period when no other operation is being carried out. A plurality of sets of the tone control data, updated at different time points, are stored in the second memory, and arrangements are also made such that, when an error occurs in the course of newest tone control data, data recovery can be made using the second newest set of the tone control data stored in the second memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Satoru Tsutsumi
  • Publication number: 20030015084
    Abstract: A general synthesizer, driver, matrix, and method. The synthesizer includes an application that maps a musical representation into vectors that include pitch, duration, and descriptors; at least one matrix for mapping descriptors into specific attributes; a driver for creating data flow using vectors and a matrix; and a device controlled by the data flow. The driver provides an API that includes descriptors manipulable to enhance playback. A matrix is organized with instrument subgroup nodes and instrument leaves. A method involves building a list of musical objects that each comprise a note or chord, translating each musical object into recursive lists of intermediate objects that include pitch, duration, cycling data, and descriptors. Each intermediate object is translated using cyclic information to describe early musical objects. Each early object is translated into a control event and a channel and synthesizer is selected for each event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2001
    Publication date: January 23, 2003
    Inventor: Peter Bengtson
  • Publication number: 20020139238
    Abstract: Tone color selecting space is provided, where tone color data are allocated to addressable locations in association with tone color selection information in accordance with a predetermined tone color standard. Into the tone color selecting space can be loaded not only tone color data compliant with the predetermined tone color standard, but also other tone color data, such as those of a standard different from the predetermined tone color standard, loadable externally from an external source. In the tone color selecting space, a dedicated area is set for allocating the externally loaded tone color data. Thus, the externally loaded tone color data can be allocated to the dedicated area and selected in response to tone color selection information designating the dedicated area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2002
    Publication date: October 3, 2002
    Applicant: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Hirofumi Mukaino, Mikihiro Hiramatsu, Hiroshi Shimizu, Atsushi Fukada
  • Patent number: 6459432
    Abstract: There is provided a database storing motion components, each of which includes motion information representative of a performance motion trajectory corresponding to a subdivided performance pattern for each musical instrument or part along with sounded point markers specifying tone-generation timing in the motion information. Motion components corresponding to the performance information are sequentially read out from the database to create basic motion information, and a three-dimensional picture is generated on the basis of the basic motion information and visually shown on a graphic display unit. Picture to be thus displayed can be selected optionally via a musical instrument change switch, player change switch and stage change switch, and the selected picture can be displayed in any desired direction by means of a viewpoint change switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Hideo Suzuki, Satoshi Sekine, Yoshimasa Isozaki, Tsuyoshi Miyaki
  • Publication number: 20020134222
    Abstract: A method is designed for selectively transferring sound data representative of waveforms of various musical sounds from a first storage device to a second storage device. The first storage device stores the sound data accessibly at a first access rate. The second storage device caches the sound data accessibly by a processor at a second access rate faster than the first access rate for instantly providing sound data representative of a target waveform of a musical sound to be processed by the processor. The method carries out the steps of receiving timbre specification information which specifies a timbre of the musical sound, predicting sound data representative of candidate waveforms matching the specified timbre and possibly containing a target waveform, and transferring the predicted sound data from the first storage device to the second storage device for caching so that the processor can hit the target waveform among the cached candidate waveforms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2002
    Publication date: September 26, 2002
    Applicant: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Motoichi Tamura
  • Patent number: 6452082
    Abstract: A method of generating musical tones and a storage medium storing a program for executing the method are provided. Musical piece data is decomposed into phrases, the musical piece data being formed of pieces of performance data arranged in the order of performance. The pieces of performance data of the musical piece data are analyzed for each of the phrases obtained by the decomposing step. Tone color control data is prepared for each of the phrases according to results of the analyzing. The pieces of performance data of the musical piece data are reproduced by sequentially reading the pieces of performance data at timing at which the pieces of performance data are to be performed to the order of performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Yahama Corporation
    Inventors: Hideo Suzuki, Masao Sakama, Yoshimasa Isozaki
  • Publication number: 20020124713
    Abstract: There are provided a power line spectrum extractor for extracting power line spectra of a waveform to be processed; a level interpolation controller for performing level interpolation control on the power line spectra at every unit of a certain frequency, which is not higher than half a sampling frequency; and a cepstrum analyzer for performing Fast Fourier Transformation on the power spectra subjected to the level interpolation control and performing Inverse Fast Fourier Transformation on values found by performing level setting with a specified coefficient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2002
    Publication date: September 12, 2002
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kawai Gakki Seisakusho
    Inventor: Hiroshi Sato
  • Patent number: RE38276
    Abstract: A musical tone generating apparatus includes a position information generating device to generate musical instrument position information (PS) as plane coordinates coordinate values. This information (PS) is stored in a memory device, or selectively determined by a manual operation. The apparatus also includes an information converting device to converter information (PS) into musical tone parameter control information (PD). This control information (PD) controls musical tone source signals (S11, S12, and S13) to generate a sound field corresponding to the position of musical instruments arranged on a stage. This enables an operator to verify the musical instrument positions on a stage, thereby providing a feeling of being at a live performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Junichi Fujimori
  • Patent number: RE38554
    Abstract: A network system is constructed for operating a music apparatus having a function as an electronic musical instrument under control by a local terminal which is communicable with a host computer through a network. In the system, the host computer is installed with a capability utilized to compute data effective to extent the function of the electronic musical instrument. The local terminal is connectable to the host computer through the network to remotely control the capability of the host computer so as to compute the data prepared for the music apparatus. The local terminal downloads the computed data from the host computer into the music apparatus through the local terminal. The music apparatus operates according to the downloaded data to extend its own function as the electronic musical instrument. Further, the capability itself can be transferred from the host computer to the music apparatus through the local terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Kensuke Ide