Electronic musical instrument - Patent Review 5270476

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

first memory means for sequentially storing at least musical pitches included in received key-depression messages so that the stored musical pitches can be sequentially read from said first memory means according to a first-in first-out scheme;

second memory means for registering the received key-depression messages and corresponding musical pitches included in the received key-depression messages, the key-depression messages including a first type note-on flag which indicates that a command to generate or truncate a musical tone is to be issued, said second memory means being a map-type memory;

third memory means for registering a second type note-on flag and the corresponding musical pitches, said second type note-on flags each indicating whether the command to generate or truncate the musical tone has or has not been issued based on the received key-depression messages, said third memory means being a map-type memory;

reading means for sequentially reading said musical pitches from said first memory means according to a first-in first-out scheme;

comparing means for comparing each first type note-on flag in said second memory means with each second type note-on flag in said third memory means in response to each musical pitch read by said reading means, said comparing means deciding, from the comparison, whether the first type note-on flag and the second type note-on flag have a different state; and

processing means for issuing a command to generate or truncate the musical tone in response to said comparing means, with the command being issued based upon the key-depression message registered in said second memory means and including the first type note-on flag corresponding to the musical pitch read by said reading means;

said processing means causing the second type note-on flag, corresponding to the musical pitch read by said reading means, in said third memory means to coincide to the state of the corresponding first type note-on flag.

2. The electronic musical instrument according to claim 1, wherein said second memory means also registers note-on velocity data included in the key-depression messages and are updated with new note-on velocity data only when a processing to generate or truncate the musical tones for current note-on velocity data is completed, in response to the musical pitches includes in the key-depression messages.

3. The electronic musical instrument according to claims 1 or 2, further comprising:

overflow detecting means for deciding whether said first memory means is overflowing;

said comparing means for comparing the first type note-on flag in said second memory means with the second type note-on flag in said third memory means corresponding to the musical pitch read by said reading means if said overflow detecting means decides that said first memory means is not overflowing;

said comparing means for comparing, in a predetermined order, the first type note-on flag in said second memory means for the musical pitches with the second type note-on flags in said third memory means corresponding to each musical pitch if said overflow detecting means decides that said first memory means is overflowing.

4. The electronic musical instrument according to claims 3, further comprising:

indicating means for displaying information indicating that musical pitches are lost when said overflow detecting means has detected that said first memory means is overflowing.

5. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

first memory means for sequentially storing at least musical pitches included in received key-operation messages so that the stored musical pitches can be sequentially read from said first memory means according to a first-in first-out scheme;

second memory means for registering the received key-operation messages and corresponding musical pitches included in the received key-operation messages, the key-operation message including a first type note-on/off flag which indicates that a command to generate or mute a musical tone is to be issued, said second memory means being a map-type memory;

third memory means for registering the received key-operation messages and the corresponding musical pitches, the key-operation messages including second type note-on/off flags, each flag indicating whether the command to generate or mute the musical tone has or has not been issued based on the received key-operation messages, said third memory means being a map-type memory;

reading means for sequentially reading the musical pitches from said first memory means according to a first-in first-out scheme;

comparing means for comparing each first type note-on/off flag in said second memory means with each second type note-on/off flag in said third memory means in response to each musical pitch read by said reading means, so as to decide whether the first type note-on/off flag and the second type note-on/off flag have a different state; and

processing means for issuing a command to generate or mute the musical tone in response to said comparing means, with the command being issued based upon the key-operation message registered in said second memory means and including the first type note-on/off flag corresponding to the musical pitch read by said reading means;

said processing means causing the second type note-on/off flag, corresponding to the musical pitch read by said reading means, in said third memory means to coincide to the state of the corresponding first type note-on/off flag.

6. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

first memory means for sequentially storing at least musical pitches included in received key-operation messages so that the stored musical pitches can be sequentially read from said first memory means according to a first-in first-out scheme;

second memory means for registering the received key-operation messages and corresponding musical pitches included in the received key-operation messages, the key-operation message including a first type note-on/off flag which indicates that a command to generate or mute a musical tone is to be issued, together with a first current number of note-on/off flag which is obtained by subtracting a number representing a number of note-on/off flags indicating that the musical tone is to be muted from a number representing a number of note-on/off flags indicating that the musical tone is to be generated, said second memory means being a map-type memory;

third memory means for registering the received key-operation messages and the corresponding musical pitches, the key-operation messages including second type note-on/off flags, each flag indicating whether the command to generate or mute the musical tone has or has not been issued based on the received key-operation messages, together with a second current number of note-on/off flags which is obtained by subtracting a number representing a number of the note-on/off flags indicating that the command to mute musical tone has been issued from a number representing a number of the note-on/off flags indicating that the command to generate has been issued, said third memory means being a map-type memory;

reading means for sequentially reading the musical pitches from said first memory means according to a first-in first-out scheme;

comparing means for comparing each first type note-on/off flag in said second memory means with each second type note-on/off flag in said third memory means in response to each musical pitch read by said reading means, so as to decide whether the first type note-on/off flag and the second type note-on/off flag have a different state; said comparing means further comparing whether a number of remaining note-on/off flags obtained by subtracting the first current number of note-on/off flags from the second current number of note-on/off flags is more than a predetermined number; and

processing means for issuing a command to generate the musical tone in response to said comparing means, with the command being issued based upon the key-operation message which has been registered in said second memory means and including the first type of the note-on/off flag corresponding to the musical pitch read by said reading means;

said processing means causing the second type note-on/off flag, corresponding to the musical pitch read by said reading means, in said third memory means to coincide to the state of the corresponding first type note-on/off flag.

said processing means preferentially executing note-off processings a number times that correspond to said number of remaining note-on/off flags when said number is more than the predetermined number.

7. The electronic musical instrument according to claims 5 or 6, wherein said second memory means registers note-on/off velocity data included in the key-operation messages and are updated with new note-on/off velocity data only when processing to generate the musical tones for current note-on/off velocity data is completed, in response to the musical pitch included in the key-operation messages.

8. The electronic musical instrument according to claims 5 or 6, further comprising:

overflow detecting means for deciding whether said first memory means is overflowing;

said comparing means for comparing the first type note-on/off flag in said second memory means with the second type note-on/off flag in said third memory means corresponding to the musical pitch read by said reading means if said overflow detecting means decides that said first memory means is not overflowing;

said comparing means for comparing, in a predetermined order, the first type note-on/off flags in said second memory means with the second type note-on/off flag in said third memory means corresponding to each musical pitch if said overflow detecting means decides that said first memory means is overflowing.

9. The electronic musical instrument according to claims 8, further comprising:

indicating means displaying the information indicating that the musical pitches are lost when said overflow detecting means has detected that said first memory means is overflowing.

10. The electronic musical instrument comprising:

first memory means for sequentially storing at least musical pitches included in received key-operation messages so that the stored musical pitches can be sequentially read from said first memory means according to a first-in first-out scheme;

second memory means, being a map-type memory, for registering the received key-depression messages and corresponding musical pitches included in the received key-depression messages, the key-depression messages including a note-on flag which indicates that a command to generate or truncate the musical tone is to be issued;

third memory means, being a map-type memory, for registering state data representing a processing to generate or truncate the musical tone based on the received key-depression messages, and the corresponding musical pitches;

setting means for updating contents of the state data which have been registered in said third memory means and corresponding musical pitches so as to indicate an unprocessed state;

reading means for sequentially reading the musical pitches out from said first memory means according to a first-in first-out scheme;

detecting means for deciding whether each state data registered in said third memory means indicates an unprocessed state in response to each musical pitch read by said reading means; and

processing means for issuing commands to said musical tone-generating means to generate or truncate the musical tone when said detecting means has decided that the musical pitch is unprocessed, said command being issued based upon the key-depression message registered in said second memory means;

said processing means modifying contents of the state data in said third memory means so as to indicate that the musical pitch has been processed.

11. The electronic musical instrument according to claims 1 or 10, wherein said second memory means registers note-on velocity data included in the key-depression messages and are updated with new note-on velocity data only when the new note-on velocity data are greater than current note-on velocity data in an unprocessed state for generating or truncating the musical tone, in response to the musical pitch included in the key-depression messages.

12. The electronic musical instrument according to claim 10, wherein said second memory means registers note-on velocity data which are included in the key-depression messages and are updated with new note-on velocity data only when contents of the state data registered in said third memory means indicates that the musical pitch has been processed, in response to the musical pitch included in the key-depression messages.

13. The electronic musical instrument comprising:

first memory means for sequentially storing at least musical pitches included in received key-operation messages so that the stored musical pitches can be sequentially read from said first memory means according to a first-in first-out scheme;

second memory means, being a map-type memory, for registering the received key-depression messages and corresponding musical pitches included in the received key-operation messages, the key-operation messages including a note-on flag which indicates that a command to generate or mute the musical tone is to be issued;

third memory means, being a map-type memory, for registering state data representing a processing to generate or mute the musical tone based on the received key-operation messages, the corresponding musical pitches;

setting means for updating contents of the state data which has been registered in said third memory means and corresponding musical pitches so as to indicate an unprocessed state;

reading means for sequentially reading the musical pitches out from said first memory means according to a first-in first-out scheme;

detecting means for deciding whether each state data registered in said third memory means indicates an unprocessed state in response to each musical pitch read by said reading means; and

processing means for issuing commands to said musical tone-generating means to generate or mute the musical tone when said detecting means has decided that the musical pitch is unprocessed, said command being issued based upon the key-operation message registered in said second memory means;

said processing means modifying contents of the state data in said third memory means so as to indicate that the musical pitch has been processed.

14. An electronic musical instrument comprising:

first memory means for sequentially storing at least musical pitches included in received key-operation messages so that the stored musical pitches can be sequentially read from said first memory means according to a first-in first-out scheme;

second memory means, being a map-type memory, for registering the received key-depression messages and corresponding musical pitches included in the received key-operation messages, the key-operation messages including a first type note-on/off flag which indicates that a command to generate or mute a musical tone is to be issued; together with a first current number of note-on/off flags which is obtained by subtracting a number representing a number of note-on/off flags indicating that the musical tone is to be muted from a number representing a number of note-on/off flags indicating that the musical tone is to be generated;

third memory means, being a map-type memory, for registering state data representing a processing to generate or mute the musical tone and corresponding musical pitches, together with a second current number of note-on/off flags which is obtained by subtracting a number representing a number of note-on/off flags indicating that the command to mute musical tone has been issued from a number representing a number of note-on/off flags indicating that the command to generate musical tone has been issued;

setting means for updating contents of the state data which have been registered in said third memory means and corresponding musical pitches so as to indicate an unprocessed state;

reading means for sequentially reading the musical pitches from said first memory means according to a first-in first-out scheme;

comparing means for comparing whether a number of remaining note-on/off flags obtained by subtracting the first current number of note-on/off flags from the second current number of note-on/off flags is more than a predetermined number in response to each musical pitch read by said reading means;

detecting means for deciding whether each state data registered in said third memory means indicates an unprocessed state in response to each musical pitch read by said reading means; and

processing means for issuing commands to generate or mute the musical tone when said detecting means has decided that the musical pitch is unprocessed, the command being issued based upon the key-operation messages been registered in said second memory means;

said processing means modifying contents of the state data in said third memory means so as to indicate that the musical pitch has been processed;

said processing means preferentially executing note-on/off processings a number of times that correspond to said number of remaining note-on/off flags when said number is more than the predetermined number.

15. The electronic musical instrument according to claims 5, 6, 13, or 14, wherein said second memory means registers note-on velocity data which are included in the key-operation messages and are updated with new note-on velocity data only when the new note-on/off velocity data are greater than a current note-on/off velocity data in an unprocessed state for generating the musical tone, in response to the musical pitch included in the key-operation messages.

16. The electronic musical instrument according to claims 13 or 14, wherein said second memory means registers current note-on velocity data which are included in the key-operation messages and are updated with new note-on/off velocity data only when contents of the state data registered in said third memory means indicates that the musical pitch has been processed, in response to the musical pitch included in the key-operation messages.

17. The electronic musical instrument according to claims 10, 13 or 14, further comprising:

overflow detecting means for deciding whether said first memory means is overflowing;

said detecting means deciding whether contents of the state data registered in said third memory means indicates that the musical pitch is unprocessed corresponding to the musical pitch read by said reading means if said overflow detecting means decides that said first memory means is not overflowing;

said detecting means deciding, in a predetermined order, whether the contents of the state date registered in said third memory means indicates that the musical pitches is unprocessed corresponding to each musical pitch if said overflow detecting means decides that said first memory means is overflowing.

18. The electronic musical instrument according to claim 17, further comprising:

indicating means for displaying information indicating that musical pitches are lost when said overflow detecting means has detected that said first memory means is overflowing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an electronic musical instrument, and more particularly, to a system therein for receiving and processing the key state data supplied from a keyboard, sequencer or the like.

2. Description of Related Art

Electronic musical instruments are generally constructed such that various processings such as the allotting of musical tone-generating channels channels to key state data or key operation data will be effected based on the received key state data It is to be noted that the key state data are produced in electronic musical instruments independently of the progress of the processings of key-depression or key-release, because such key state data correspond to keyboard operation per se including key-depression and key-release, or correspond to the reading of music information out of a sequencer Therefore, it is necessary for the received key state data to be temporarily stored in a memory device so that it can be read on demand and in response to the progress of the processings. The following systems are used for temporary storage of the key state data.

First-in First-out System: Received key state data are sequentially written into a register called "FIFO", in the order of reception, according to the reception interrupt routine. The temporarily stored data are then read sequentially out of the FIFO and delivered to the main routine so as to execute the key-depression or key-release processings.

Map System: A new-note map and an older-note map are employed, with the former map registering the received key state data and recording their musical pitches, wherein the latter map registers for each musical pitch the commands given to the musical tone-generating channels to carry out the processing of key-depression or key-release. The contents of the new-note and older-note maps are sequentially compared with each other. If there is found any difference between these maps, then or the key-depression or -release processings are effected depending on the key state data registered on the new-note map.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The first-in first-out system is advantageous in that the key state data to be processed can be obtained rapidly, and in that all of the received data can be processed one by one without missing any data. "Glissand" playing on keyboard will produce in a short time a number of consecutive key operation data, which in this system are to be processed in a consecutive manner. Thus, the processing of key-depressions or key-releases cannot be effected in good time, thereby delaying the generation of musical tones to such a degree that the musical feeling is spoiled. There is another problem that some older key state data may be lost, if the capacity of used memory in the first-in first-out system is insufficient.

On the other hand, the map system is characterized in that the processing is executed based upon the newest key state data when number of data are received in a short time. This feature is advantageous in that undesirable increase of key-depression or key-release processings can be avoided. Reference is made here again to the "glissando" operation of keyboard in which a number of repeated key-depressions and key-releases take place in a short time and close to each other. If in such a case superfluous key state data causes the processing to be delayed, some key-release data may be received before the preceding key-depression data have been processed. The new-note map will be renewed to indicate that key-release processing is currently effective. As a result, the system can not necessarily treat all of the key state data, whereby some key state data are discarded as if there were no change in operation of the same key with respect to the neglected data. From one aspect of the matter, this is desirable since the spoiled musical feeling is avoided which may be produced due to the "one-by-one" processing of all the consecutive key-depressions and key-releases in the first-in first-out system. However, this map system has such a problem that it takes a longer time to obtain the necessary key state data from the new-note map. Further, the alternately repeated data such as "note-on and note-off and note-on" are produced for the same note number in the so-called "chattering" operation of keyboard will result in a delayed processing of the data. Such a delay will bring about a possibility that, if the succeeding note-on is received before the processing of the preceding note-on and note-off, the velocity data of the preceding note-on will be renewed to be that of the succeeding note-on. It will be now understood that the velocity of the succeeding note-on in the "chattering" is likely to be less than that of the preceding note-on. This means that it is difficult to assure the intended tone intensity or key touch for the succeeding note-on. It is also a drawback of the map system that multiple note-on messages from the sequencer will be processed as a single note-on message, thereby disabling the multiple generating of plural tones for the same note number.

An object of the present invention is to resolve the aforementioned problems in the prior art systems, is and therefore, provide an electronic musical instrument in which the drawbacks of the first-in first-out system and the map system are compensated with the advantages of the map system and the first-in first-out system, respectively.

In order to achieve this object, the electronic musical instrument in the invention comprises characteristic components illustrated in FIG. 1A and outlined as follows.

From one aspect of the present invention, the characteristic components are:

(a) a first memory for sequentially storing at least musical pitches included in received key-depression messages so that the stored musical pitches can be sequentially read out from the first memory in the manner of first-in first-out;

(b) second a memory, being a map memory, for registering the received key-depression messages and corresponding to the musical pitches included in each received key-depression message, the key-depression messages include a first type note-on flag which indicates that a command to generate and/or truncate the musical tone is to be issued;

(c) a third memory, being another map memory, for registering a second type note-on flag and corresponding to the musical pitches, the second type note-on flags each indicating whether the command to generate and/or truncate the musical tone has or has not been issued to a musical tone-generating device based on the received key-depression messages;

(d) a reading device for sequentially reading the musical pitches out from the first memory in the manner of first-in first-out;

(e) a comparing device for comparing each first type note-on flag in the second memory with each second type note-on flag in the third memory, in response to each musical pitch which is read by the reading device, so as to decide whether the first type note-on flag and the second type note-on flag have or have not the same state: and

(f) a processing device for issuing the command to the musical tone-generating device to generate and/or truncate the musical tone in response to operation of the comparing device 5, with the command being issued based upon the key-depression message registered in the second memory and including the first type note-on flag corresponding to the musical pitch read by the reading device, the processing device further causing the second type note-on flag, corresponding to the musical pitch read by the reading device in the third memory to coincide to the state of the corresponding first type note-on flag.

From another aspect of the present invention, the characteristic components are:

a) a first memory for sequentially storing at least musical pitches included in received key-operation messages so that the stored musical pitches can be sequentially read out from the first memory in the manner of first-in first-out;

(b) a second memory, being a map memory, for registering the received key-operation messages and corresponding to the musical pitches included in each received key-operation message, the key-operation messages include a first type note-on/off flag which indicates that a command to generate or mute the musical tone is to be issued;

(c) a third memory, being another map memory, for registering the received key-operation messages and corresponding to the musical pitches, the key-operation messages include second type note-on/off flags each indicating whether the command to generate or mute the musical tone has or has not been issued to a musical tone-generating device based on the received key-operation messages;

(d) a reading device for sequentially reading the musical pitches out from the first memory in the manner of first-in first-out;

(e) a comparing device for comparing each first type note-on/-off flag in the second memory with each second type note-on/off flag in the third memory, in response to each musical pitch which is read by the reading device, so as to decide whether the first type note-on/-off flag and the second type note-on/off flag have or have not the same state; and

(f) a processing device for issuing the command to the musical tone-generating device to generate or mute the musical tone in response to operation of the comparing device 5', with the command being issued based upon the key-operation message registered in the second memory and including the first type note-on/off flag corresponding to the musical pitch read by the reading device, the processing device further causing the second type note-on/off flag corresponding to the musical pitch read by the reading device in the third memory to coincide to the state of the corresponding first type note-on/off flag.

The musical pitches in the abovementioned two cases are read in sequence by the reading devices from the first memory, in the manner of first-in first-out. The first type note-on (or note-on/off) flag registered in the second memory and corresponding to the musical pitches are then compared with the second type note-on (or note-on/off) flag in the third memory , respectively by the comparing device. If the note-on (or note-on/off) flag is decide by the comparing device as not having the same state as that of the corresponding second type note-on (or note-on/off) flag, then the processing device issues a command to the tone generating device to generate and/or truncate (or mute) the musical pitch, based upon the key-depression ( key-operation) data registered in the second memory corresponding the musical pitch. If, on the other hand, the first type note-on (or note-on/off) flag and the corresponding second type note-on (or note-on/-off) flag have the same state, the processing device does not execute such an operation as just described above, but the key-depression (key-operation) data will be discarded without use.

Further, an electronic musical instrument may be provided with an overflow detecting means for deciding whether the first memory is or is not overflowing, wherein the comparing device compares the first type note-on flag registered in the second memory with the second type note-on flag in the third memory corresponding to the musical pitch read by the reading device if the detecting device decides that the first memory device is not overflowing, whereas the comparing means compares in a predetermined order the first type note-on flag registered in the second memory for the musical pitches with the second type note-on flags in the third memory, if the detecting device decide that the first memory is overflowing.

The object of the present invention will also be achieved by providing an electronic musical instrument as shown in FIG. 1B and comprises:

(a) first memory means 1'' for sequentially storing at least musical pitches included in received key-depression messages so that the stored musical pitches can be sequentially read out from the first memory in the manner of first-in first-out;

(b) a second memory, being a map memory, for registering said received key-depression messages and corresponding to the musical pitches included in each included in received key-depression messages, the key-depression message include a note-on flag which indicates that a command to generate and/or truncate the musical tone is to be issued;

(c) a third memory, being another map memory, for registering the processed-state data, regarding generating and/or truncating of the musical tone for a musical tone-generating device based on the received key-depression messages and corresponding to each musical tone;

(d) a setting device for renewing the contents of the processed-state data regarding the generating and/or truncating of musical tone for the musical tone generating device which have been registered in the third memory and corresponding to each musical pitch included in each received key-depression message so as to indicate an unprocessed state;

(e) a reading device for sequentially reading the musical pitches out of the first memory in the manner of first-in first-out;

(f) a detecting device for deciding whether each processed state data which has been registered in the third memory is or is not indicating unprocessed state of each musical pitch, in response to each musical pitch which is read by the reading device; and

(g) a processing device for issuing the command to the musical tone-generating device to generate and/or truncate the musical tone in a case wherein the detecting device 8 has decided that the musical pitch has not yet been processed, with the command being issued based upon the key-depression message which has been registered in the second memory and includes the note-on flag, indicating that the musical pitch is to be generated and/or truncated, corresponding to the musical pitch read by the reading device, the processing device further causing the processed-state data in the third memory to be renewed to indicate that the musical pitch has now been processed.

From a still another aspect of the invention, the electronic musical instrument may comprise the following components. Namely,

(a) a first memory for sequentially storing at least musical pitches included in received key-operation messages so that the stored musical pitches can be sequentially read out from the first memory in the manner of first-in first-out;

(b) a second memory, being a map memory, for registering the received key-operation messages and corresponding to the musical pitches included in each the received key-operation message, the key-operation messages include a note-on/off flag which indicates that a command to generate or mute the musical tone is to be issued; (c) a third memory, being another map memory, for registering the processed-state data, regarding generating or muting of the musical tone for a musical tone generating device based on the received key-operation messages and corresponding to each musical tone;

(d) a setting device for renewing the content of the processed-state data regarding the generating or muting of musical tone for the musical tone generating device which has been registered in the third memory and corresponding to each musical pitch included in each received key-operation messages so as to indicate an unprocessed state;

(e) a reading device for sequentially reading the musical pitches out from the first memory in the manner of first-in first-out;

(f) a detecting device for deciding whether each processed state data which has been registered in the third memory is or is not indicating unprocessed state of each musical pitch in response to each musical pitch which is read by the reading device and

(g) a means for issuing the command to the musical tone-generating device to generate or mute the musical tone when the detecting device has decided that the musical pitch has not yet been processed, with the command being issued based upon the key-operation message which has been registered in the second memory and includes the note-on/off flag, indicating that the musical tone is to be generated or muted, corresponding to the musical pitch read by the reading device the processing device further causing the processed-state data in the third memory to be renewed to indicate that the musical pitch has now been processed.

The musical pitches in the abovementioned two cases are also read in sequence by the reading device out from the first memory in the manner of first in first-out. Subsequently, the detecting device will decide in response to each musical pitch whether each processed-state data in the third memory is or is not indicating unprocessed state of the musical pitch, wherein each processed-state data is renewed to indicate the unprocessed state in response to each received key-operation data. If the processed-state data is decided by the detecting device