641results about "Automatic musical instruments" patented technology

A video game system comprising a standard drum set having at least one drum set component (30). An electrical pick-up is attached to each component. A game grid (12) is displayed on a display monitor and is electrically resonsive to the electrical pick-up. The game grid being similar to a musical staff with objects, which are moving along the musical staff, that will change appearance when the drum set component is struck at an appropriate moment.

The system comprises a master module and slave modules able to be chain-connected and / or star-connected by means of a digital communication network, for example of the Ethernet type. The system is synchronized on the master module clock that supplies synchronization information to all the data frames it sends over the network. Each slave module reconstitutes the clock from the frames it receives. The data frames comprise data packets that can in particular be command data, audio data or video data. Each packet comprises a header describing the content of the packet. Each slave module knows at which location of a packet the data intended for it is located and at which location of a packet it can insert data.

A method and apparatus are provided for adapting a language model. The method and apparatus provide supervised class-based adaptation of the language model utilizing in-domain semantic information.

The system comprises a master module and slave modules able to be chain-connected and / or star-connected by means of a digital communication network, for example of the Ethernet type. The system is synchronized on the master module clock that supplies synchronization information to all the data frames it sends over the network. Each slave module reconstitutes the clock from the frames it receives. The data frames comprise data packets that can in particular be command data, audio data or video data. Each packet comprises a header describing the content of the packet. Each slave module knows at which location of a packet the data intended for it is located and at which location of a packet it can insert data.

In order to realize a small and light key actuating apparatus for actuating a key which is rotatably supported with respect to a frame, a key actuating apparatus (7) is provided which includes a polymer transducer (9) for rotatably moving the key (3) by using a deformation of the transducer, wherein the transducer which is substantially formed in a plate shape includes: a polymer film (15) which is dielectric and made from an elastically deformable polymer material; and a pair of electrodes (17) arranged at both sides of surfaces of the polymer film, and the transducer is deformed corresponding to switching between an application of voltage and a lack of voltage between the electrodes.

A player piano system including a player piano having a core computing device with programming, a storage device installed therein configured to communicate with at least one second computing device such as an Internet server. A remote controller device communicates with the core computing device and provides remote access to the player piano controls.

A display box for aesthetically presenting jewelry is provided. The display box of the present invention includes provisions for under lighting the displayed jewelry when the display box is opened. Additionally, the display box of the present invention may include a sound source or voice recordable chip connected in series with the light source, thus providing visual and aural enhancement of the displayed jewelry. The display box of the present invention may additionally be adapted to hold, display and illuminate more than one piece of jewelry.

A method and apparatus are provided for adapting a language model. The method and apparatus provide supervised class-based adaptation of the language model utilizing in-domain semantic information.

Methods and apparatus for simulating the sound of a specific percussion instrument. A first stored waveform representative of the impulse response of the specific percussion instrument is convolved with a second waveform representating of the vibrations produced when a playing surface is struck, scraped or rubbed by a hand-held implement manipulated by a human player. A control interface produces a control signal indicative of a desired audio effect, and a signal processor modifies the spectral components of the output waveform produced by the convolution in response to the control signal to produce a modified output waveform that manifests the desired audio effect.

An automatic player reenacts a music passage on an acoustic piano without any fingering of a human player; solenoid-operated key actuators and a solenoid-operated pedal actuator is provided for the keys and damper pedal; the automatic player makes the damper pedal travel along a simulative pedal trajectory, and the central processing unit stores pieces of control data expressing the pedal stroke together with the amount of mean current supplied to the solenoid-operated pedal actuator; the central processing unit analyzes the pieces of control data so as to determine an entry point of half pedal section and an exit point of the half pedal section, and specifies a target half point in the half pedal section; while reenacting a music passage, the automatic player brings the damper pedal to the half point so as to reproduce the half pedal state, exactly.

A key actuating system (1) of a keyboard musical instrument is provided which helps quickly push the keys by reducing reaction force with respect to force of pushing the keys during manual operation, and which supports a person having less strength to play the keyboard musical instrument. The key actuating system for a keyboard musical instrument generates a sound when a key (3) is pushed including: a pressure detection sensor (11) detecting a pushing pressure on the key; a status detection sensor (13) detecting a movement status of the key: an actuator (15) actuating the key in a pushing direction of the key; and a control portion (19), when the pressure detection sensor detects the pushing pressure and the status detection sensor detects motion of the key, controls operations of the actuator in order to maintain the detected pressure by the pressure detection sensor at a pressure threshold which is in a range larger than 0 and smaller than a pushing pressure on the key which is necessary for making a sound.

An object of the present invention is to provide a percussion detecting apparatus, which is excellent in percussion feeling, and the percussion sounds of which are very small, in electronic percussion instrumental system. The percussion detecting apparatus is provided with a head prepared from a net-like raw material composed of a first net and a second net, the net-like raw material being obtained by such a manner that both the nets having been woven in accordance with plane weaving manner wherein the longitudinal and transverse fibers cross at right angles are laminated in such a way that the weave pattern directions thereof intersect obliquely with each other; and a head sensor which is in contact with the center position of the under side in the head and detects percussion with respect to the head as electric signal.

The real drum trigger monitor and amplified tone module is an electronic percussion instrument, satisfying the desire of drummers to have realistic electronic drums with the audible drum sound coming directly from the instrument triggering the sound being heard. The monitor has a speaker subsystem and patch capability mounted within an actual acoustic drum shell having a mesh drumhead and electronic trigger. The output of the electronic trigger is fed into an industry recognized tone processor before being fed back to the integrated speaker sub-system mounted in the drum, thereby producing sound coming directly from the drum activating the electronic signal. Alternatively, a traditional electronic percussion instrument may be mounted to the real drum trigger monitor and amplified tone module to provide an integrated drum trigger and speaker monitor.

In a first aspect, organic coating compositions are provided, particularly spin-on antireflective coating compositions, that contain a resin component with a blend of distinct resins, wherein at least one resin of the mixture comprises chromophore groups and at least one resin of the mixture is at least substantially or completely free of chromophore groups. In a further aspect, systems are provided that include use of multiple underlying organic antireflective coating compositions that have differing absorbances of radiation used to image an overcoated photoresist composition layer.

A tooth brush holder having a base plate, a rotating cover, and a receptacle therein for receiving a tooth brush. The cover has at least one opening in alignment with the receptacle. The base plate includes facilities for closing the receptacle when the tooth brush is removed so that the user cannot replace the tooth brush until a predetermined time has elapsed.

Indication objects are displayed on a television monitor at the intervals in agreement with the rhythm of music, such that the player can generate musical tones in synchronization with music by striking the strike surface of a music game console in the appropriate timing as indicated by indication objects. In this case, the tone quality of the strike sound changes in the progress of music on the basis of strike sound indicating information.

A key driving apparatus for driving a key may include, but is not limited to, a first elastically deformable unit. The first elastically deformable unit is configured to receive a first control voltage. The first elastically deformable unit is configured to show elastic deformations of stretch and shrinkage based on the level of the first control voltage. The first elastically deformable unit is configured to allow the key to be driven by the elastic deformations of stretch and shrinkage of the first elastically deformable unit.

The real drum trigger monitor and amplified tone module is an electronic percussion instrument, satisfying the desire of drummers to have realistic electronic drums with the audible drum sound coming directly from the instrument triggering the sound being heard. The monitor has a speaker subsystem and patch capability mounted within an actual acoustic drum shell having a mesh drumhead and electronic trigger. The output of the electronic trigger is fed into an industry recognized tone processor before being fed back to the integrated speaker sub-system mounted in the drum, thereby producing sound coming directly from the drum activating the electronic signal. Alternatively, a traditional electronic percussion instrument may be mounted to the real drum trigger monitor and amplified tone module to provide an integrated drum trigger and speaker monitor.

A keyboard musical instrument supports lessons in practicing musical performance on a keyboard to allow users to learn musical performance expressions. In accordance with a teacher's model performance, performance data representing operations of keys of the keyboard, pedal depression data representing operations of pedals, and damper position data representing positions of dampers in action mechanisms are created and recorded on recording media such as flexible disks. When a student plays the keyboard musical instrument, the performance data, pedal depression data, and damper position data are reproduced by means of the recording media, so that they are displayed on the screen of a display, wherein the prescribed keys to be depressed are sequentially displayed in a piano roll form based on the performance data, and wherein depression values of the pedals and positions of the dampers are displayed based on the pedal depression data and damper position data.

A sound augmentation system for a drum comprises a wave generator for producing an electrical signal corresponding to a predetermined sound, an amplifier for amplifying the electrical signal to produce an amplified electrical signal, and a driver for translating the amplified electrical signal to a plurality of sound waves. The wave generator, amplifier and driver are mounted to a support structure configured to fit within a body of the drum. In operation, a strike of the head of the drum produces amplified sound waves that emanate from the body of the drum. Various embodiments of the sound augmentation system and associated method are provided.

A mainspring used as a power source for a driving mechanism is made of an amorphous metal sheet, and has an S-shaped free-exploded shape. The curvature changing point where the curving direction of the free-exploded shape changes is formed on the inner end side of a middle point between the inner end on the winding side and the outer end serving as the other end of the inner end. Because of the high tensile stress and a low Young's modulus, the amorphous metal permits increase in mechanical energy stored in the mainspring.

The present invention relates to a backlight apparatus for a Liquid Crystal Display. The backlight apparatus includes a main light source for generating white light and a monochromatic light source for generating monochromatic light to compensate the color temperature of the white light. The backlight further includes a light mixing region for mixing the white light with the monochromatic light to form mixed light with compensated color temperature and a reflection plate disposed underneath the light mixing region. The invention provides the monochromatic light source in addition to the fluorescent lamp, widening the color expression range and effectively adjusting the color temperature, thereby enabling natural color expression.

Key frame has a key support section that pivotably supports thereon a plurality of keys. Hammer structures are pivotably provided in corresponding relation to and below the keys, each of which pivots in interlocked relation to depression operation of a corresponding one of the keys. On a rear portion of the key frame, there is provided an upper stopper that is elongated and extends in a direction where the keys are arranged. The upper stopper defines an upper end limit of pivoting movement of each of the hammer structures. Opening portion is formed between the key support section and the upper stopper. Wiring cable connected to a circuit board, having switches corresponding to the keys, is run below the key support section, then passed through the opening portion and thence drawn upwardly beyond the upper stopper so that it is led out to a region above the upper stopper.

A self-calibrating key sensor system is constituted by an optical modulator, optical position transducers, a data accumulator and a data analyzer, and the optical modulator has a gray scale section to produce a key position signal varied together with the keystroke and an absolute data section to produce a calibration signal representative of a strictly adjusted distance between transparent areas of the absolute data section; the data accumulator accumulates discrete values of the calibration signal and discrete values of the key position signal together with the sampling time, and the data analyzer determines the gradient of the key position signal on the basis of peaks of the calibration signal produced at both ends of the strictly adjusted distance so as to estimate the true distance between the rest and end positions.

A portable electronic device integrating compact storage for a large collection of musical scores, rapid access to any score in the collection, a display adjustable for various viewing conditions and individual needs, support for annotation that preserves the original score, and simplified page turning. The device includes two touch-sensitive displays hinged together so as to approximate the familiar form of a musical score. The device opens to display two pages of music, one on each of the touch-sensitive displays. The device may be placed on a music stand or piano ledge in the same manner as a traditional musical score. Removable mass storage medium allows virtually unlimited expansion of a score collection. Menu selection and subsequent random access to selected scores result in rapid retrieval of any score a musician may require. The touch-sensitive surface of the touch-sensitive displays allows menu selection, display adjustment, page-turning, and other features at the touch of a finger, as well as non-destructive annotation at the stroke of a stylus. In sum, the device enhances the interaction between musician and musical score in ways that transform the manner of a musician's ownership and use of a large collection of scores.

An automatic player piano has various sorts of individuality due to differences in size, design margins applied to the component parts and a difference in electric characteristics of system component parts so that key position signals contain error components due to those sorts of individuality; plural feedback control loops are created between the key sensors and key actuators, and the error components are eliminated from the current key positions through the normalization; even if an original performance is reenacted through the automatic player piano different from that used in the recording, the feedback control loops cause the key actuators to force the keys to move along reference trajectories determined on the basis of the music data codes, whereby the manufacturer makes the key sensors shared between the recording system and the automatic playing system.

Marching band string instruments and wearable string instruments are described that include a stiff waist band to prevent excessive side to side movement during use, while providing easy doff and don of the string instrument. String instruments also are provided with adjustable chest braces to allow accommodation for different player sizes and for minimization of back strain when playing the electric string instrument for extended time periods. Electric string instruments optionally have soft material interposed between bridge feet and a string instrument body, to allow a more resonant sound detection from a pickup located between the bridge feet and the body. Other advances include generation of a stereo signal from bridge vibrations, and electronic processing of sound that enhances the electric string instrument playing and learning experience.

An actuator unit includes: a performance operator drive device including a movable member that mechanically drives the performance operator member; an optical pattern having a pattern to cause an amount of light reflection or light transmission to gradually vary in accordance with movement of the movable member; and an optical sensor that irradiates light toward the optical pattern and receives light reflected from or transmitted through the optical pattern. One of the optical pattern and the optical sensor is provided to move in interlocked relation to the movable member, and the amount of the reflected light or transmitted light, based on the optical pattern, is detected by the optical sensor, so that a moving position of the movable member is detected on the basis of the detected amount of the reflected or transmitted light.

A method and apparatus for outputting audio data and a musical score image, displaying a musical score image corresponding to reproduced audio data, and outputting audio data corresponding to a musical score image are provided, in which a tone is extracted, the tone is converted into a frequency, a monotone or polyphonic tone is identified, the frequency corresponding to a monotone or polyphonic tone is converted into tone information data, and the tone information data is stored, and a musical score is displayed. Also, audio data corresponding to a musical score are output, in which the musical score is photographed, musical signs from the photographed musical score are extracted, a pitch of a tone is extracted from music paper and musical note information of the musical signs, a duration of the tone from the musical note information of the musical signs is extracted, and audio data are output.

An electronic keyboard musical instrument capable of performing delicate sound board vibration control based on outputs generated individually for respective ones of transducers, thereby realizing production of natural sounds with sufficient volume, and an easy tone quality adjustment. A sound board is fixed to a frame, and the transducers are mounted to the sound board so as to be spaced from one another. In accordance with first and second performance signals generated in response to a key operation of a keyboard and a damper pedal operation, driving signals for the transducers are individually generated in consideration of characteristics and mounting positions of the transducers, and the driving signals are supplied to the transducers. The sound board is thereby caused to vibrate at a frequency varying according to a tone pitch, thus producing a musical tone and / or a damper tone.