Pedal device and electronic keyboard device

Abstract

To provide a pedal device that provides an operating feel equivalent to that of a grand piano pedal.SOLUTION: In an electronic keyboard device, a pedal device includes: a case 190; a foot lever 100 that includes a first portion located inside the case, and a second portion located outside the case, is pivotably arranged with respect to the case, and whose center of rotation C is located between the first portion and the second portion; a stroke sensor 171 that detects a position of the foot lever between a rest position and an end position; and a reaction force member (elastic member 165) that contacts the foot lever on the way the foot lever rotates from the rest position to the end position, applies a reaction force, and is located corresponding to the opposite end of the first portion from the rotation center side. Change in the reaction force and timing of change in the sound of the performance are calibrated based on information set based on the position of a tip 100fe of the foot lever where the reaction force member exerts reaction force on the foot lever, and the information about the position of the foot lever detected by the sensor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pedal device. [Background technology]

[0002] A pedal unit used in an electronic musical instrument detects at least whether the pedal is depressed (end position) or not (rest position), and controls a sound signal generated in the sound source device by transmitting the detection result to the sound source device. Various techniques are applied to such pedal units in order to obtain the feel of pedal operation of an acoustic piano. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for providing hysteresis to a damper load (reaction force) against pedal depression. Patent Documents 2 to 4 disclose techniques related to reaction force characteristics in a region (half pedal region) between the rest position region and the end position region, which causes a change in the played sound different from the two regions. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-334008 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2012-145609 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2012-13895 A [Patent Document 4] JP 2012-13894 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Among acoustic pianos, the pedals of upright pianos and grand pianos differ from each other in function and structure. For example, the distance between the center of rotation of the pedal and the front end of the pedal is different between grand pianos and upright pianos. This distance is smaller in grand pianos than in upright pianos. As a result, the manner of rotation when the pedal is depressed is different between grand pianos and upright pianos. On the other hand, the center of rotation of all conventional pedal units used in electronic musical instruments is set at a position equivalent to the pedal of an upright piano. Therefore, there is a demand for the development of a pedal device that provides an operating feeling equivalent to that of a grand piano pedal.

[0005] In addition, there are product variations in the components used in electronic musical instrument pedal units, and variations in operation may occur over time. These variations may cause a discrepancy between the pedal operation feel (changes in the load on the pedal) and the change in the performance sound caused by pedal operation. In particular, precise control of the pedal depression amount (stroke amount), reaction force, and performance sound in the half pedal range is required, and the effects of variations must be avoided.

[0006] One of the objects of the present invention is to stabilize changes in pedal position, pedal load, and playing sound. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a pedal device including a case, a foot lever including a first part located inside the case and a second part located outside the case, the foot lever being rotatably arranged with respect to the case, with a rotation center located between the first part and the second part, a first sensor for detecting a position of the foot lever between a rest position and an end position, and a reaction member located corresponding to a part of the first part opposite the rotation center and contacting the foot lever as the foot lever rotates from the rest position to the end position to apply a reaction force, the pedal device calibrating the position of the foot lever to change the played sound in response to a change in the reaction force based on first information set based on a first position of the foot lever when the reaction member is in contact with the foot lever and information regarding the position of the foot lever detected by the first sensor.

[0008] Moreover, according to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a pedal device including a case, a foot lever provided within the case and rotatably arranged, a first sensor that detects the position of the foot lever between a rest position and an end position, and a reaction member that contacts the foot lever as the foot lever rotates from the rest position toward the end position to apply a reaction force, wherein the first sensor and the reaction member are arranged on an integral structure. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, the timing of the change in pedal load and the change in played sound can be precisely matched. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the appearance of an electronic keyboard device according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a pedal unit according to one embodiment. [Diagram 3] 4 is a graph showing an example of output characteristics of a stroke sensor. [Figure 4] 4 is an example of an enlarged plan view of an elastic member as viewed from the keyboard body side. FIG. [Diagram 5] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an electronic keyboard device according to an embodiment; [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a control unit. [Figure 7] 4 is a graph showing reaction force characteristics of a foot lever. [Figure 8] 4 is a graph showing an example of output characteristics of a stroke sensor. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a pedal unit according to one embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a pedal unit according to one embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is an operational control flow diagram of the pedal unit. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a control flow diagram for rewriting stored output values. [Figure 13] 4 is a graph showing an example of output characteristics of a stroke sensor. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a control flow diagram for resetting rewritten information. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a pedal unit according to one embodiment. [Figure 16] 4 is an example of an enlarged plan view of an elastic member as viewed from the keyboard body side. FIG. [Figure 17] 4 is a graph showing an example of output characteristics of a stroke sensor. [Figure 18] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a pedal unit according to one embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a pedal unit according to one embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 4 is an operational control flow diagram of a control unit. [Figure 21] FIG. 11 is a control flow diagram for rewriting stored offset information. [Figure 22] 4 is a graph showing an example of output characteristics of a stroke sensor. [Diagram 23] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a pedal unit according to one embodiment. [Figure 24] 4 is a graph showing an example of output characteristics of a stroke sensor. [Diagram 25] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a pedal unit according to one embodiment. [Figure 26] FIG. 4 is an operational control flow diagram of a control unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The embodiments shown below are merely examples, and the present invention is not to be interpreted as being limited to these embodiments. In the drawings referred to in this embodiment, the same parts or parts having similar functions are given the same or similar symbols (symbols with A, B, etc. added after numbers) and repeated explanations may be omitted. In order to clarify the explanation, the drawings may be described schematically with dimensional ratios different from the actual ratios or parts of the configuration omitted from the drawings.

[0012] First Embodiment (1-1. Basic configuration of electronic keyboard device) 1 is a diagram showing the external appearance of an electronic keyboard device in one embodiment. The electronic keyboard device 1 includes a pedal unit 10, a keyboard body 91, a support plate 93 that supports the keyboard body 91 at a predetermined height, and a support column 95 for supporting the pedal unit 10 by suspending it from the keyboard body 91. The pedal unit 10 may be separable from the keyboard body 91. In this case, the pedal unit 10 and the support column 95 may be separated, or the support column 95 and the keyboard body 91 may be separated.

[0013] The keyboard body 91 includes an operation unit 83, a display unit 85, and a keyboard unit 88 consisting of a plurality of keys. The pedal unit 10 includes a case 190 and at least one foot lever 100 protruding from the case 190. In this example, the pedal unit 10 includes three foot levers 100-1, 100-2, and 100-3. In terms of function, the foot lever 100-1 corresponds to a damper pedal, the foot lever 100-2 corresponds to a sostenuto pedal, and the foot lever 100-3 corresponds to a shift pedal. In the following description, the three foot levers 100-1, 100-2, and 100-3 are referred to as foot levers 100, except when they are described separately from one another. The foot lever 100 can also be called a pedal arm.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the forward direction F, the depth direction D, the upward direction U, the downward direction B, the leftward direction L, and the rightward direction R are defined with respect to a user (player) playing the electronic keyboard device 1. In other words, the forward direction F and the depth direction D are aligned along the longitudinal direction of the keys. The longitudinal direction of the keys is sometimes referred to as the front-to-back direction. The leftward direction L and the rightward direction R are aligned along the direction in which the keys are arranged. The direction in which the keys are arranged is sometimes referred to as the left-to-right direction. The rightward direction R corresponds to the treble side of the keys. A plane including the forward-to-back and left-to-right directions is sometimes referred to as a horizontal plane. The upward direction U and the downward direction B are aligned along the vertical direction. The vertical direction is sometimes referred to as the up-down direction. The same definitions will be used in the explanations of the following figures.

[0015] According to the pedal unit 10 of the embodiment, by adopting an internal structure different from the conventional structure, it is possible to make the operation feel of the pedal closer to the operation feel of the pedal of a grand piano. Each component of the electronic keyboard device 1 will be described below.

[0016] (1-2. Pedal unit configuration) The following describes the configuration of the pedal unit 10. In the following description, attention will be focused on one foot lever 100.

[0017] Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the pedal unit in the first embodiment. Fig. 2 shows a state in which the foot lever 100 is not depressed, that is, the foot lever 100 is in the rest position. The pedal unit 10 includes the foot lever 100, a case 190, an elastic member 155, a lower stopper 181, an upper stopper 183, a stroke sensor 171, and an elastic member 165.

[0018] The case 190 accommodates a part of the foot lever 100. In this example, the pedal unit 10 includes an auxiliary tool 195 on the lower surface of the bottom part 190b to assist in fixing the position of the case 190 relative to the floor. The case 190 is formed of resin and includes the bottom part 190b, the ceiling part 190u, and a side part. The side part is a wall part connecting the bottom part 190b and the ceiling part 190u. In FIG. 2, the front part 190f and the rear part 190r of the side part are shown. The parts of the side part arranged in the left direction L and the right direction R are not shown. There is an opening between the front part 190f and the bottom part 190b. The foot lever 100 is arranged so that a part of the foot lever 100 is inside the case 190 and the remaining part is outside the case 190. The foot lever 100 is arranged rotatably relative to the case 190 by the shaft 115 and the bearing 120 described below. The rotation center C is located inside the case 190. The opening has a size that does not interfere with the rotational range of the foot lever 100 .

[0019] The foot lever 100 is made of metal and has a longitudinal direction in the front-rear direction. In the following description, the region of the foot lever 100 in the depth direction D and on the inside with respect to the rotation center C is referred to as the first region 100r (first part), and the region in the front direction F with respect to the rotation center C and on the outside of the case 190 is referred to as the second region 100f (second part). The surface of the foot lever 100 in the upward direction U is referred to as the upper surface 100s1, and the surface in the downward direction B is referred to as the lower surface 100s2. The upper surface 100s1 and the lower surface 100s2 do not include a portion of the tip portion of the second region 100f of the foot lever 100 that is bent in the downward direction B.

[0020] A region located approximately in the center of the foot lever 100 in the longitudinal direction (hereinafter referred to as the central region 100c) is connected to a shaft support part 111 on the lower surface 100s2. A shaft 115 is connected to the tip of the shaft support part 111. In other words, the shaft support part 111 connects the shaft 115 to the foot lever 100, and supports the shaft 115 with respect to the foot lever 100.

[0021] The shaft 115 forms a rotation axis extending along the left-right direction, and has an arc shape at the edge of a cross section perpendicular to the rotation axis. This arc shape corresponds to a part of a circle with the rotation center C as its center.

[0022] The elastic member 155 , the elastic member 165 , the stroke sensor 171 , the lower stopper 181 and the upper stopper 183 are disposed in the internal space of the case 190 .

[0023] In this example, the elastic member 155 is a metal spring, but it does not have to be made of metal, and it does not have to be spring-shaped. That is, the elastic member 155 may be any member that generates an elastic force by elastic deformation. The upper end of the elastic member 155 is supported by a support member 153 fixed to the ceiling portion 190u. The lower end of the elastic member 155 is supported by a support member 151 fixed to the upper surface 100s1 of the first region 100r. The axial direction of the spring forming the elastic member 155 preferably coincides with the rotation direction (circumferential direction) of the portion in contact with the first region 100r at any position in the rotation range of the foot lever 100 (for example, the end position, the rest position, or the position where the elastic member 165 and the foot lever 100 contact each other (see FIG. 9)).

[0024] The elastic member 155 is supported by the support members 151, 153 in a state compressed from its natural length, and applies an elastic force (reaction force) to the first region 100r so as to hold the foot lever 100 in the rest position. This elastic force (reaction force) includes a component in the downward direction B with respect to the first region 100r. The elastic force of the elastic member 155 presses the first region 100r against the lower stopper 181, and also applies a reaction force against the movement of the second region 100f of the foot lever 100 in the downward direction B. Therefore, the elastic member 155 can also be called a reaction member (first reaction member).

[0025] The lower stopper 181 is disposed on the bottom 190b and contacts the lower surface 100s2 of the first region 100r of the foot lever 100. The lower stopper 181 contacts a portion of the first region 100r that is located in the depth direction D from the elastic member 155 (in this example, the end of the foot lever 100 on the first region 100r side). In other words, the portion of the foot lever 100 to which the force (reaction force) is applied by the elastic member 155 is located between the shaft 115 and the lower stopper 181. In this state, the rest position of the foot lever 100 is defined. The more the position of the lower stopper 181 is away from the center of rotation C, the higher the accuracy of positioning can be. With such a positional relationship, the elastic member 155 applies a force to the first region 100r, and the foot lever 100 is stably supported on the pedal unit 10.

[0026] The upper stopper 183 is disposed on the ceiling portion 190u and contacts the upper surface 100s1 of the first region 100r of the foot lever 100. In this example, the upper stopper 183 contacts the end of the foot lever 100 on the first region 100r side. In this state, the end position of the foot lever 100 is defined. The further the position of the upper stopper 183 is from the rotation center C, the higher the positioning accuracy can be. In this way, the foot lever 100 can rotate between the rest position and the end position (i.e., within the rotation range).

[0027] The stroke sensor 171 is provided on the upper part of the foot lever 100. In this example, the stroke sensor 171 is provided on the upper part of the foot lever 100 and in the vicinity of the elastic member 165. Specifically, the stroke sensor 171 includes a sensing part 171a and an engaging part 171b. The sensing part 171a is fixed to the ceiling part 190u of the case 190. The engaging part 171b engages with a part of the first region 100r of the foot lever 100. The stroke sensor 171 detects the behavior of the foot lever 100. Specifically, the engaging part 171b of the stroke sensor 171 rotates in accordance with the rotation of the first region 100r. Information detected by the sensing part 171a changes in conjunction with the movement of the engaging part 171b. This makes it possible to detect the position (for example, the amount of rotation) of the foot lever 100 between the rest position and the end position. In this embodiment, a variable resistor is used for the stroke sensor 171. In the above example, the stroke sensor 171 is disposed near the elastic member 165, but the location of the stroke sensor 171 is not particularly limited as long as it can detect the position (rotation amount) of the foot lever 100.

[0028] FIG. 3 is a graph showing an example of the output characteristics of the stroke sensor 171. In FIG. 3, the horizontal axis indicates the stroke S. The stroke S indicates the position of the foot lever when the rest position is set as a reference value (S0) (for example, the position of the foot lever 100 that contacts the elastic member 165, or the position of the tip 100fe of the second region 100f). The vertical axis indicates the sensor output value V (for example, a voltage value) corresponding to the stroke S. As shown in FIG. 3, the sensor output value V is approximately proportional to the stroke of the damper pedal, and the sensor output value increases as the stroke increases. The stroke sensor 171 can continuously output an output value corresponding to the stroke amount of the foot lever 100.

[0029] The first region 100r of the foot lever 100 contacts the elastic member 165 when the foot lever 100 is moving from the rest position to the end position. When the elastic member 165 receives a force from below by the foot lever 100, it elastically deforms and applies an elastic force (reaction force) to the first region 100r. This elastic force (reaction force) further applies a reaction force against the movement of the second region 100f of the foot lever 100 in the downward direction B. Therefore, the elastic member 165 may be called a reaction member (second reaction member). The elastic member 165 is formed of an elastic material such as rubber. The elastic member 165 forms a space inside. That is, the elastic member 165 has a dome shape. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the elastic member 165 has a two-stage dome shape including an upper dome portion 165a and a lower dome portion 165b. By having the two-stage dome shape, individual difference variation of the elastic member is reduced. This makes it possible to keep constant the slope between the output value V output from the stroke sensor 171 (variable resistor) and the position (stroke S) of the foot lever.

[0030] 4 is an example of an enlarged plan view of the elastic member 165 of the pedal unit 10, as viewed from the keyboard body 91 side. As shown in FIG. 4, the elastic member 165 is fixed to the case 190 via a fixing support 165c. The case 190 has a hole 190op. This allows air inside the elastic member 165 to be discharged to the outside when the elastic member 165 is pressed. This allows the elastic member 165 to deform stably.

[0031] (1-3. Block diagram of electronic keyboard device) 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an electronic keyboard device according to one embodiment. In addition to the pedal unit 10, the electronic keyboard device 1 includes a control unit 81, a storage unit 82, an operation unit 83, a sound source unit 84, a display unit 85, a speaker 86, a keyboard unit 88, and a key depression detection unit 89. The control unit 81, the storage unit 82, the operation unit 83, the sound source unit 84, the display unit 85, the speaker 86, the keyboard unit 88, and the key depression detection unit 89 are disposed in a keyboard body 91.

[0032] The key depression detection unit 89 detects depression of a key included in the keyboard unit 88, and outputs a key signal KV according to the detection result to the control unit 81. The key signal KV includes information corresponding to the key to be operated and the amount of operation of the key. The pedal unit 10 outputs a pedal signal PV according to the depression of the foot lever 100 to the control unit 81. The pedal signal PV includes information corresponding to the pedal to be operated and the amount of operation of the pedal. Specifically, the pedal signal PV includes a signal (output value V) output from the stroke sensor 171. The control unit 81 can calculate the position of the foot lever 100 (the amount the foot lever 100 is depressed) based on the detection result of the stroke sensor 171.

[0033] The operation unit 83 includes operation devices such as knobs, sliders, touch sensors, and buttons, and receives instructions from a user to the electronic keyboard device 1. The operation unit 83 outputs an operation signal CS to the control unit 81 in accordance with the received user instructions.

[0034] The storage unit 82 is a storage unit such as a non-volatile memory, and has an area for storing a control program executed by the control unit 81. The control program may be provided from an external device. When the control unit 81 executes the control program, various functions are realized in the electronic keyboard device 1.

[0035] The storage unit 82 also stores information (also called first information) on the position of the foot lever 100 when the foot lever 100 contacts the elastic member 165 and the position of the foot lever 100 when it rotates a certain amount toward the end position from that position. Specifically, the storage unit 82 stores an output value V1 (also called first output value) of the stroke sensor 171 corresponding to the position of the foot lever 100 when the foot lever 100 contacts the elastic member 165 (stroke S1, also called first position), an output value V2 (also called second output value, first information) of the stroke sensor 171 corresponding to the position of the foot lever 100 when the foot lever 100 rotates a certain amount toward the end position after the foot lever 100 contacts the elastic member 165, and a predetermined range (output values ​​V3 to V4) with V2 as the center value. The output value V3 indicates a value of V2-α. The output value V4 indicates a value of V2+α.

[0036] The control unit 81 is an example of a computer including a processing circuit such as a CPU, and a storage unit such as a RAM, a ROM, etc. The control unit 81 executes a control program stored in the storage unit 82 by the CPU, and realizes various functions in the electronic keyboard device 1 according to the instructions written in the control program.

[0037] FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram of the control unit 81. As shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 81 has an acquisition unit 811, a determination unit 812, a sound source control signal generation unit 813, and a transmission unit 815 as functional units. The acquisition unit 811 receives various signals from each device. For example, the acquisition unit 811 acquires (receives) position information of the foot lever 100 sent from the stroke sensor 171 as an output value. The determination unit 812 determines the output value acquired from the stroke sensor 171. The sound source control signal generation unit 813 generates a sound source control signal Ct based on the key signal KV, the pedal signal PV, the operation signal CS, and the like. The sound source control signal may include, for example, a Musical Instruments Digital Interface (MIDI) signal. The sound source control signal Ct includes a signal for changing the performance sound. The transmission unit 815 transmits various command information to each device. For example, the transmission unit 815 transmits the generated sound source control signal to the sound source unit 84.

[0038] The sound source unit 84 includes a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). The sound source unit 84 generates a sound signal based on a sound source control signal Ct transmitted from the control unit 81. In other words, the sound source unit 84 generates a sound signal in response to an operation on a key of the keyboard unit 88 and an operation on the foot lever 100 of the pedal unit 10. The sound source unit 84 may supply the generated sound signal to a speaker 86. The speaker 86 generates a sound corresponding to the sound signal by amplifying and outputting the sound signal supplied from the sound source unit 84. The display unit 85 includes a display device such as a liquid crystal display, and displays various screens under the control of the control unit 81. A touch panel may be configured by combining the display unit 85 with a touch sensor.

[0039] In this embodiment, the pedal unit 10, the control unit 81, and the storage unit 82 can be collectively referred to as the pedal device 20.

[0040] (1-4. Pedal unit operation and reaction force characteristics) Next, the operation of the foot lever 100 rotating from the rest position to the end position will be described. Fig. 7 is a graph showing the reaction force characteristics of the foot lever. Fig. 8 is a graph showing an example of the output characteristics of the stroke sensor 171. Figs. 9 and 10 are schematic cross-sectional views of the pedal unit 10 when the foot lever 100 is rotating. In Fig. 7, the horizontal axis indicates the position (stroke S) of the foot lever 100, and the vertical axis indicates the reaction force applied to the second region 100f of the foot lever 100.

[0041] In the pedal unit 10, when the foot lever 100 is depressed and rotated (the region from stroke S0 to S1 in FIG. 7), the second region 100f, which is the part that is depressed, descends, and the first region 100r ascends. In response to this, the stroke sensor 171 detects the position (stroke S) of the foot lever 100. At this time, the elastic member 155 is gradually compressed, increasing its elastic force. As a result, the force (reaction force) required to descend the second region 100f increases. The change in the reaction force is large at the beginning of the rotation of the foot lever 100, and then increases at a constant rate of change up to the stroke S1. In addition, as shown in FIG. 8, the output value V of the stroke sensor 171 also increases according to the change in the position (stroke S) of the foot lever 100. The pedal signal PV of the pedal unit 10 is transmitted to the control unit 81 as the output value V of the stroke sensor.

[0042] When the foot lever 100 is further depressed and rotated, a part of the first region 100r comes into contact with the elastic member 165 as shown in FIG. 9 in the middle of moving from the rest position to the end position.

[0043] When the foot lever 100 is further depressed and rotated (the region from stroke S1 to S2 (or S3 to S4) in FIG. 7), in addition to the increase in elastic force due to the deformation of the elastic member 155, an elastic force due to the deformation of the elastic member 165 is applied. As a result, the force (reaction force) required to lower the first region 100r of the foot lever 100 also increases significantly.

[0044] When the foot lever 100 is further depressed and rotated, it reaches a region (half pedal region) where the rate of change of the reaction force is the smallest (region S3 to S4 with stroke S2 ​​as the median). By perceiving this change in reaction force, the user can perceive that the half pedal region has been reached.

[0045] When the foot lever 100 is further depressed and rotated (stroke S4~), the first region 100r of the foot lever 100 contacts the upper stopper 183, and the foot lever 100 reaches the end position, as shown in Fig. 10. When the first region 100r contacts the upper stopper 183, the rate of change of the reaction force increases again sharply, and the reaction force also increases.

[0046] Fig. 11 is a process flow diagram of the control unit 81 when the foot lever is depressed. In Fig. 11, the acquisition unit 811 acquires (performs a reading process) from the storage unit 82 in advance an output value V1 of the stroke sensor 171 corresponding to the position (stroke S1) of the foot lever 100 when the foot lever 100 comes into contact with the elastic member 165, an output value V2 (also called a second output value) of the stroke sensor 171 corresponding to the position (stroke S2) of the foot lever 100 when the foot lever 100 is rotated (offset) by a certain amount toward the end position after the foot lever 100 comes into contact with the elastic member 165, and a predetermined range (output values ​​V3 to V4) with the output value V2 as the center value (S101).

[0047] Next, the acquisition unit 811 receives the output value V transmitted from the stroke sensor 171 (S103). At this time, the determination unit 812 performs a determination process on the acquired output value (S105).

[0048] If the output value is V2 (or a value in the range from V3 to V4) (S107; Yes), the sound source control signal generating unit 813 generates a signal (sound source control signal Ct1) that changes the performance sound corresponding to the half pedal region (S109). The transmitting unit 815 transmits the sound source control signal Ct1 to the sound source unit 84 (S111).

[0049] If the output value is not V2 (or a value in the range from V3 to V4) (S107; No) but is greater than V4 (S113; Yes), the sound source control signal generator 813 generates a signal (sound source control signal Ct2) that changes the performance sound corresponding to the region on the end position side (S115). The transmitter 815 transmits the sound source control signal Ct2 to the sound source unit 84 (S117).

[0050] If the output value does not fall under the above (S113; No), the sound source control signal does not have to be generated. After each process is completed, the process returns to S103. Note that, although the above describes the case where the foot lever rotates from the rest position to the end position, the same applies to the case where the foot lever rotates from the end position to the rest position.

[0051] As described above, in this embodiment, the storage unit 82 pre-stores the output value V1 of the stroke sensor 171, which corresponds to the position of the foot lever when the foot lever 100 comes into contact with the elastic member 165, and the output value V2 (or the output values ​​V3 and V4) of the stroke sensor 171, which corresponds to the position of the foot lever when the foot lever rotates (offsets) a certain amount after the foot lever 100 comes into contact with the elastic member 165. This makes it possible to pre-adjust (calibrate) the position of the foot lever, particularly the position of the foot lever in the half pedal region (depression amount), changes in the reaction force against the foot lever, and changes in the performance sound at the time of shipment or pre-inspection stage, even if there is variation in the operation of a member (e.g., the elastic member 165).

[0052] Therefore, the performance sound can be changed according to the change in reaction force, just like when the damper pedal of an acoustic piano is depressed. In other words, by using this embodiment, the pedal position, the change in the load on the pedal, and the change in the performance sound can be stabilized.

[0053] In this embodiment, the position of the tip 100fe of the second region 100f of the foot lever 100 in the stroke S2 ​​(or the range from stroke S3 to stroke S4) in Fig. 7, i.e., in the half pedal region, preferably includes a range of 5 mm before and after, and more preferably a range of 2 mm before and after, in the rotation direction based on the position where a reaction force of 0.5 kg or more is applied to the foot lever 100 from the elastic member 165. In this region, the user can change the performance sound while feeling the reaction force, so that the user can perform the performance as he or she wishes.

[0054] In this embodiment, the pedal unit 10 used in the electronic keyboard device 1 is arranged with a first region 100r and a second region 100f on either side of a rotation center C, and the foot lever 100 rotates by a seesaw-type rotation. In this way, the upper space US on the upper surface 100s1 side of the first region 100r can be made large, while the lower space LS on the lower surface 100s2 side of the first region 100r can be made small. The pedal unit 10 is arranged in a portion close to the installation surface of the electronic keyboard device 1. Therefore, by making the portion (lower space LS) below the foot lever 100 as small as possible, the degree of freedom in design can be improved.

[0055] In the pedal unit 10 of this embodiment, the elastic member 165 is disposed in the upper space US of the case 190, which is farther from the shaft 115 (rotation center C) than the elastic member 155. At this time, the shaft 115 (rotation center C) of the foot lever 100 is disposed near the center in the longitudinal direction (central region 100c). At this time, it is desirable that the length D1 from the shaft 115 (rotation center C) to the portion 100re of the first region 100r of the foot lever 100 that contacts the elastic member 165 is at least 1 / 3 or more of the length D2 from the shaft 115 (rotation center C) to the tip end 100fe of the second region 100f of the foot lever 110. Specifically, the length D1 may be 1 / 3 or more and 1 / 2 or less of the length D2, 1 / 2 or more, 2 / 3 or more, or 1 or more. If the elastic member 165 is arranged under the foot lever 100, in order to apply the above ratio, the case 190 must be made larger, or the elastic member 165 must be arranged outside the case 190, or inside the case 190 in an environment close to the external space. Therefore, the arrangement of the elastic member 165 is limited. However, by having the above configuration as in this embodiment, the space in which the elastic member 165 is arranged can be expanded. As a result, the elastic member 165 can be arranged in a large space inside the case 190, and the size of the elastic member 165 can be increased. When the size of the elastic member 165 is increased, the load control on the foot lever 100 can be performed more precisely. Furthermore, by increasing the size of the elastic member 165, the durability of the elastic member 165 can be improved.

[0056] In this embodiment, the pedal unit 10 (foot lever 100) has a seesaw-type structure. Therefore, the reaction member (elastic member 165), which had to be provided on the lower side of the foot lever 100 in the conventional pedal unit, is provided in the upper space US of the foot lever 100. Accordingly, the locking portion (attachment portion) of the stroke sensor 171 is also provided close to the elastic member 165 in the upper space US of the foot lever 100. In this case, the stroke sensor 171 and the elastic member 165 are provided on the same plane (upper surface) of the case 190. In this embodiment, the case 190 is an integral structure. An integral structure (or integral type structure) refers to an integral structure in which the entire structure is continuous. By using this embodiment, even if the sizes of the members such as the stroke sensor 171 and the elastic member 165 are different (vary) from the design values, the influence can be reduced. Therefore, the performance sound can be stably changed according to the change in the reaction force.

[0057] <Second embodiment> In this embodiment, an example will be described in which information corresponding to the output value of the stroke sensor stored in the storage unit is changed.

[0058] FIG. 12 is a control flow for changing the stored output value of the stroke sensor. In this embodiment, the user inputs an operation signal CS (rewrite signal) for changing the output value V2 (first information), which is a setting value for generating a sound source control signal, using the operation unit 83 (S201). In this example, the user inputs an arbitrary numerical value to the operation unit 83. More specifically, in terms of the operation output of the MIDI standard in the foot lever 100, an arbitrary numerical value (for example, 70) is input within the range of numerical values ​​from 0 to 127. The operation unit 83 transmits the operation signal CS (rewrite signal) to the control unit 81 (S203). The acquisition unit 811 of the control unit 81 receives the operation signal CS (rewrite signal) from the operation unit 83 (S205). The control unit 81 rewrites the value of the output value V2 based on the operation signal CS (rewrite signal) (generates an output value V2') (S207). V2' is a value obtained by adding β to the output value V2. The transmitting unit 815 transmits the rewritten output value V2' to the storage unit 82, and the rewritten output value V2' is stored in the storage unit 82 (S209). Fig. 13 is a graph showing an example of the output characteristic of the stroke sensor after rewriting. As shown in Fig. 13, with the rewriting of the output value V2 to V2', a sound source control signal corresponding to the half pedal region is generated when the output value V2' is detected.

[0059] Therefore, by using this embodiment, the user can change the performance sound by using the foot lever stroke that is most comfortable for the user.

[0060] In the present embodiment, an example in which the set value (output value V2) is rewritten has been shown, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the rewritten output value V2 may be reset to the value before the rewriting. FIG. 14 is a control flow for resetting the rewritten output value of the stroke sensor. The user inputs a reset operation signal CS (also called a reset signal) to the output value V2 before the rewriting using the operation unit 83 (S301). The operation unit 83 transmits the operation signal CS to the control unit 81 (S303). The acquisition unit 811 receives the reset operation signal CS from the operation unit 83 (S305). The control unit 81 changes (resets) the value of the output value V2 to the value before the rewriting based on the reset operation signal CS (S307). The reset output value V2 is stored in the storage unit 82 (S309).

[0061] <Third embodiment> In this embodiment, a pedal unit different from that of the first embodiment will be described. Specifically, an example having a contact sensor that comes into contact with a protrusion provided in an elastic member will be described. Note that the description of the configuration that overlaps with the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate.

[0062] (3-1. Pedal unit configuration) 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the pedal unit 10A. As shown in FIG. 15, the pedal unit 10A includes an elastic member 165A and a contact sensor 173 in addition to the foot lever 100, the case 190, the elastic member 155, the lower stopper 181, the upper stopper 183, and the stroke sensor 171.

[0063] The elastic member 165A comes into contact with the first region 100r of the foot lever 100 when the foot lever 100 is moving from the rest position to the end position. When the elastic member 165A receives a force from below by the foot lever 100, it elastically deforms and generates an elastic force. This elastic force (reaction force) applies a downward force to the first region 100r of the foot lever 100. The elastic member 165A is made of an elastic material such as rubber. The elastic member 165A forms a space inside. That is, the elastic member 165A has a dome shape. More specifically, the elastic member 165A has a two-stage dome shape including an upper dome portion 165Aa and a lower dome portion 165Ab.

[0064] In this embodiment, the elastic member 165A includes a protrusion 161 that protrudes toward the internal space. The protrusion 161 is integrally formed with the upper dome portion 165Aa. A tip portion 161a of the protrusion 161 may be provided with a metal material.

[0065] The contact sensor 173 has a sensing portion 173a and a circuit board 173b on which the sensing portion 173a is arranged. The contact sensor 173 is arranged on a ceiling portion 190u of the case 190, and detects a contact (contact information) at a predetermined detection position.

[0066] In this embodiment, the elastic member 165A is disposed so as to cover the detection position (sensing portion 173a) of the contact sensor 173 from below. The elastic member 165A is deformed when it receives a force from below. When this deformation causes the protrusion 161 to come into contact with the detection position of the contact sensor 173, the contact sensor 173 outputs a predetermined detection signal. This detection signal is also included in the pedal signal PV.

[0067] FIG. 16 is an example of an enlarged plan view of the elastic member 165A, the case 190, and the contact sensor 173 of the pedal unit 10A when viewed from the keyboard body 91 side. The elastic member 165A is fixed to the case 190 together with the contact sensor 173 via a fixing support part 165Ac. This can reduce the impact on the circuit board 173b caused by the contact between the elastic member 165A and the contact sensor 173. In addition, the case 190 has a hole part 190op, and the circuit board 173b has a hole part 173op. This makes it easier for air to move in the elastic member 165A, so that when the elastic member 165A is pressed against the first region 100r of the foot lever 100, the air inside the elastic member 165 is easily discharged to the outside. As a result, the elastic member 165A can be deformed stably. Furthermore, the elastic member 165A may be fixed by passing the support portion 165Ac through the hole portion 190op and the hole portion 173op.

[0068] (3-2. Pedal unit operation and reaction force characteristics) Next, the operation of the foot lever 100 rotating from the rest position to the end position will be described. Fig. 17 is a graph showing an example of the output characteristics of the stroke sensor 171 and the contact sensor 173. Figs. 18 and 19 are schematic cross-sectional views of the pedal unit 10 when the foot lever 100 is rotating. In this embodiment, for the sake of explanation, the explanation will start from the point when the foot lever 100 is depressed by the user and the foot lever 100 comes into contact with the elastic member 165A.

[0069] When the foot lever 100 is further depressed and rotated (the region from stroke S1 to S2 in FIG. 17), the first region 100r of the foot lever 100 rotates upward. At this time, the stroke sensor 171 detects the position (stroke S) of the foot lever 100. The pedal signal PV of the pedal unit 10 is transmitted to the control unit 81 as an output value of the stroke sensor in the region from stroke S1 to S2. At this time, in addition to the increase in elastic force due to the deformation of the elastic member 155, an elastic force due to the deformation of the elastic member 165 is added. As a result, the force (reaction force) that moves the first region 100r of the foot lever 100 downward also increases significantly.

[0070] Furthermore, when the user depresses the second region 100f of the foot lever 100, the first region 100r of the foot lever 100 rotates upward and the elastic member 165A is deformed, so that the protrusion 161 comes into contact with the contact sensor 173 (see FIG. 18). The contact sensor 173 detects contact information (also referred to as contact information or first information). The contact sensor 173 transmits the contact information as an electric signal to the control unit 81. At this time, the stroke sensor 171 also detects an output value Vt corresponding to the position (also referred to as the first position or stroke St) of the foot lever 100 (the tip 100fe of the first region 100r or the second region 100f) at the time of contact (S411) and transmits it to the control unit 81 (S413).

[0071] When the foot lever 100 is further depressed and rotated, it reaches a region (half pedal region) where the rate of change of the reaction force is the smallest (region S3 to S4 with stroke S2 ​​as the median, see FIG. 7). By perceiving this change in reaction force, the user can perceive that the half pedal region has been reached.

[0072] When the foot lever 100 is further depressed and rotated (stroke S4~), the first region 100r of the foot lever 100 contacts the upper stopper 183, and the foot lever 100 reaches the end position, as shown in Fig. 19. When the first region 100r contacts the upper stopper 183, the rate of change of the reaction force increases sharply again, and the reaction force also becomes larger.

[0073] FIG. 20 is a process flow diagram of the control unit 81 when the foot lever 100 is depressed. In FIG. 20, the acquisition unit 811 receives the contact information transmitted by the contact sensor 173, and acquires (receives) the output value Vt corresponding to the position of the foot lever 100 at the time of contact from the stroke sensor 171 (S401). The control unit 81 calculates V2 obtained by adding a set offset Voffset to the acquired output value Vt, and a predetermined range (output values ​​V3 to V4) with V2 as the median (S402). The output value V3 is a value obtained by subtracting a fixed amount (α) from V2. The output value V3 is a value obtained by adding a fixed amount (α) to V2. In other words, the output values ​​V2, V3, and V4 are as follows. Output value V2 = Vt + Voffset Output value V3 = Vt + Voffset - α Output value V4 = Vt + Voffset + α

[0074] Next, the acquisition unit 811 receives the output value V transmitted from the stroke sensor 171 (S403). At this time, the determination unit 812 performs a determination process on the acquired output value (S405).

[0075] If the output value is V2 (or a value in the range from V3 to V4) (S407; Yes), the sound source control signal generating unit 813 generates a signal (sound source control signal Ct1) that changes the performance sound corresponding to the half pedal region (S409). The transmitting unit 815 transmits the sound source control signal Ct1 to the sound source unit 84 (S411).

[0076] If the output value is not V2 (or a value in the range from V3 to V4) (S407; No) but is greater than V4 (S413; Yes), the sound source control signal generator 813 generates a signal (sound source control signal Ct2) that changes the performance sound corresponding to the region on the end position side (S415). The transmitter 815 transmits the sound source control signal Ct2 to the sound source unit 84 (S417).

[0077] If the output value does not fall under the above (S413; No), the sound source control signal does not need to be generated. After each process is completed, the process returns to S403. Note that, although the above describes the case where the foot lever rotates from the rest position toward the end position, the same applies to the case where the foot lever rotates from the end position toward the rest position. In this case, the control unit 81 may perform processing using the output value V2 (or output values ​​V3 to V4) calculated above.

[0078] In this embodiment, the performance sound is changed in the half pedal region using the information detected by the contact sensor 173 and the output value and offset information corresponding to the position of the foot lever 100 detected by the stroke sensor 171. This makes it possible to adjust (calibrate) the position of the foot lever, particularly the position of the foot lever in the half pedal region (amount of depression), changes in the reaction force against the foot lever, and changes in the performance sound in real time, even if there is variation in the shape of the elastic member or changes over time.

[0079] Therefore, the performance sound can be changed according to the change in reaction force, just like when the damper pedal of an acoustic piano is depressed. In other words, by using this embodiment, the pedal position, the change in the load on the pedal, and the change in the performance sound can be stabilized.

[0080] In addition, the position of the tip 100fe of the second region 100f of the foot lever 100 in the half pedal region preferably includes a range of 5 mm forward and backward, more preferably a range of 2 mm forward and backward, in the rotation direction based on the position where a reaction force of 0.5 kg or more is applied from the elastic member 165A to the foot lever 100. In this region, the user can change the performance sound while feeling an appropriate reaction force, so that the user can perform the performance as he or she wishes.

[0081] Furthermore, in this embodiment, contact sensor 173 is disposed on ceiling portion 190u of case 190. This makes it possible to prevent circuit board 173b of contact sensor 173 from becoming dirty with dust or from being short-circuited in part of the circuit board.

[0082] In addition, in the present embodiment, an example has been shown in which a signal is used when the protrusion 161 of the elastic member 165A comes into contact with the contact sensor 173, but the present invention is not limited to this. The elastic member 165A may be detected using a sensor other than the contact sensor 173 during the process of elastic deformation. For example, any sensor that works in conjunction with the elastic force (reaction force) of the elastic member 165A is applicable to the present invention. Specifically, a variable resistor may be provided instead of the contact sensor. That is, the pedal unit may be provided with two variable resistors. This allows the position of the foot lever in the vicinity of the half pedal region to be detected in more detail. Also, a sensor that detects the amount of deformation of the elastic member 165 may be used instead of the contact sensor.

[0083] In the present embodiment, the control unit 81 transmits a signal to change the performance sound to the sound source unit 84 when detecting V2, which is the output value Vt when the contact sensor 173 contacts the protrusion 161 plus the offset Voffset, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a signal to change the performance sound may be transmitted to the sound source unit 84 at the timing when the contact sensor 173 contacts the protrusion 161. In this case, the offset Voffset is "0". The contact sensor 173 may also detect contact between the first region 100r of the foot lever 100 and the elastic member 165A.

[0084] In this embodiment, the offset Voffset may be changed as appropriate. FIG. 21 is a control flow for changing the offset Voffset. In this embodiment, the user inputs an operation signal CS (rewrite signal) for changing the output value V2 (first information) using the operation unit 83 (S501). More specifically, in terms of the operation output of the MIDI standard in the foot lever 100, an arbitrary numerical value (for example, 5) is input within the range of 0 to 127. The operation unit 83 transmits the operation signal CS to the control unit 81 (S503). The acquisition unit 811 of the control unit 81 receives the operation signal CS from the operation unit 83 (S505). The control unit 81 changes the value of the offset Voffset based on the operation signal (S507). The transmission unit 815 transmits the changed output value V2' to the storage unit 82, and the offset Voffset' is stored in the storage unit 82 (S509). FIG. 22 is a graph showing an example of the output characteristics of the stroke sensor 171 and the contact sensor 173 after the offset is changed. In this example, the offset value V'offset is Voffset plus an additional offset β, allowing the user to change the performance sound by adjusting the offset rotation amount of the foot lever that is most comfortable for the user.

[0085] Furthermore, the rewritten offset V'offset may be reset to the Voffset before the rewriting. Specifically, the user inputs a reset operation signal CS (also called a reset signal) to the output value V2' before the rewriting using the operation unit 83. The acquisition unit 811 receives the reset operation signal CS from the operation unit 83. The control unit 81 changes the offset V'offset to the offset Voffset before the rewriting based on the reset operation signal. The changed offset V'offset is stored in the storage unit 82.

[0086] In addition, in the present embodiment, an example has been shown in which an output value corresponding to the stroke of the foot lever 100 is continuously output and transmitted, but the present invention is not limited to this. The stroke sensor 171 may extract information (stroke amount) relating to the position of the foot lever 100 based on a predetermined condition, and transmit only the extracted information to the control unit 81. Specifically, the output value V corresponding to the stroke amount may be extracted at regular intervals. In addition, the stroke sensor 171 may continuously transmit output values ​​after the contact sensor 173 detects contact information. This can reduce the load on the calculations in the control unit 81.

[0087] In addition, in the present embodiment, an example has been shown in which the control unit 81 transmits a signal to change the performance sound to the sound source unit 84 when the contact sensor 173 detects contact with the protrusion 161 and when the stroke sensor 171 detects the position of the foot lever 100, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when a malfunction occurs in the contact sensor 173 and the stroke sensor 171 detects a signal that exceeds a preset threshold, the control unit 81 may transmit a signal to change the performance sound to the sound source unit 84. This makes it possible to change the performance sound even if a malfunction (such as a breakdown) occurs in the contact sensor 173.

[0088] In this embodiment, the shaft 115 (rotation center C) of the foot lever 100 is disposed near the center in the longitudinal direction (central region 100c). At this time, it is desirable that the length D1 from the shaft 115 (rotation center C) to the portion 100re of the first region 100r of the foot lever 100 that contacts the elastic member 165 is at least 1 / 3 or more of the length D2 from the shaft 115 (rotation center C) to the tip 100fe of the second region 100f of the foot lever 110. Specifically, the length D1 may be 1 / 3 or more and 1 / 2 or less of the length D2, 1 / 2 or more, 2 / 3 or more, or 1 or more. This can improve the accuracy of the contact timing between the foot lever 100 and the elastic member 165 due to the amount of depression of the foot lever 100 by the user. Therefore, the detection accuracy of the sensor provided inside the elastic member 165 can be improved, and therefore the timing accuracy in the change control of the played sound can also be improved.

[0089] <Fourth embodiment> In this embodiment, a pedal unit including two variable resistors as shown in the third embodiment will be described in more detail. Note that the description of the configuration overlapping with the first to third embodiments will be omitted as appropriate.

[0090] (4-1. Pedal unit configuration) Fig. 23 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the pedal unit 10B. As shown in Fig. 23, the pedal unit 10B includes an elastic member 166 and a protrusion 167 in addition to the foot lever 100, the case 190, the elastic member 155, the lower stopper 181, the upper stopper 183, and the stroke sensor 171.

[0091] The protrusion 167 is provided on the upper surface side of the first region 100r of the foot lever 100. The material of the protrusion 167 may be the same as the material of the foot lever 100, or may be different.

[0092] The elastic member 166 comes into contact with the protrusion 167 when the foot lever 100 is moving from the rest position to the end position. When the elastic member 166 receives a force from below by the protrusion 167 of the foot lever 100, it rotates clockwise about the rotation center 166a and generates an elastic force in the opposite direction to the rotation direction. This elastic force (reaction force) applies a downward force to the first region 100r of the foot lever 100. The rotation center 166a of the elastic member 166 is provided with an elastic material such as rubber or a spring.

[0093] The elastic member 166 includes a rotation sensor 172. The rotation sensor 172 is provided near a rotation center 166a of the elastic member 166. The rotation sensor 172 detects the behavior of the elastic member 166. Specifically, the information detected by the rotation sensor 172 changes in conjunction with the rotation of the elastic member 166. This makes it possible to detect the amount of rotation of the elastic member 166. In this embodiment, a variable resistor is used for the rotation sensor 172. That is, it can be said that two variable resistors are used in this embodiment.

[0094] In this embodiment, when the elastic member 166 rotates by a predetermined amount, the rotation sensor 172 outputs a predetermined detection signal. This detection signal is also included in the pedal signal PV.

[0095] (4-2. Pedal unit operation and reaction force characteristics) Next, the operation of the foot lever 100 rotating from the rest position to the end position will be described. FIG. 24 is a graph showing an example of the output characteristics of the stroke sensor 171 and the rotation sensor 172. FIG. 25 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the pedal unit 10 when the foot lever 100 is rotating. In this embodiment, for the sake of explanation, the explanation will start from the point (FIG. 25) when the user presses the foot lever 100 and the protrusion 167 of the foot lever 100 comes into contact with the elastic member 166. For the sake of explanation, the explanations of the first and third embodiments will also be used as appropriate.

[0096] When the foot lever 100 is depressed and rotated, the first region 100r of the foot lever 100 rotates upward. At this time, the stroke sensor 171 detects the position (stroke S) of the foot lever 100. The pedal signal PV of the pedal unit 10 is transmitted to the control unit 81 as an output value of the stroke sensor in the region from stroke S1 to S2 in FIG. 24. At this time, in addition to the increase in elastic force due to the deformation of the elastic member 155, an elastic force accompanying the rotation of the elastic member 166 is added. As a result, the force (reaction force) that moves the first region 100r of the foot lever 100 downward also increases significantly.

[0097] Furthermore, when the user depresses the second region 100f of the foot lever 100, the first region 100r of the foot lever 100 rotates upward, and when the elastic member 166 rotates to a predetermined rotation amount, the rotation sensor 172 detects predetermined rotation information (also called first information). The rotation sensor 172 transmits the predetermined rotation information as an electric signal to the control unit 81. At this time, the stroke sensor 171 also detects an output value Vr corresponding to the position (first position, also called stroke Sr) of the foot lever 100 (first region 100r, tip end 100fe of the second region 100f) at the time of contact, and transmits it to the control unit 81.

[0098] When the foot lever 100 is further depressed and rotated, it reaches a region (half pedal region) where the rate of change of the reaction force decreases according to the shape of the protrusion 167 and the shape of the elastic member 166 (region S3 to S4 with stroke S2 ​​as the median, see FIG. 7). By perceiving this change in reaction force, the user can perceive that the half pedal region has been reached.

[0099] When the foot lever 100 is further depressed and rotated (stroke S4~), the first region 100r of the foot lever 100 contacts the upper stopper 183, causing the foot lever 100 to reach its end position. When the first region 100r contacts the upper stopper 183, the rate of change of the reaction force increases again sharply, and the reaction force also becomes larger.

[0100] FIG. 26 is a process flow diagram in the control unit 81 when the foot lever 100 is depressed. In FIG. 26, the acquisition unit 811 receives rotation information (first information) corresponding to a predetermined rotation amount transmitted by the rotation sensor 172, and acquires (receives) an output value Vr corresponding to the position of the foot lever 100 at the time of contact from the stroke sensor 171 (S501). The control unit 81 calculates V2 obtained by adding a set offset Voffset to the acquired output value Vr, and a predetermined range (output values ​​V3 to V4) with V2 as the median (S502). The output value V3 is a value obtained by subtracting a fixed amount (α) from V2. The output value V3 is a value obtained by adding a fixed amount (α) to V2. In other words, the output values ​​V2, V3, and V4 are as follows. Output value V2 = Vr + Voffset Output value V3 = Vr + Voffset - α Output value V4 = Vr + Voffset + α

[0101] Next, the acquisition unit 811 receives the output value V transmitted from the stroke sensor 171 (S503). At this time, the determination unit 812 performs a determination process on the acquired output value (S505).

[0102] If the output value is V2 (or a value in the range from V3 to V4) (S507; Yes), the sound source control signal generating unit 813 generates a signal (sound source control signal Ct1) that changes the performance sound corresponding to the half pedal region (S509). The transmitting unit 815 transmits the sound source control signal Ct1 to the sound source unit 84 (S511).

[0103] If the output value is not V2 (or a value in the range from V3 to V4) (S507; No) but is greater than V4 (S513; Yes), the sound source control signal generator 813 generates a signal (sound source control signal Ct2) that changes the performance sound corresponding to the region on the end position side (S515). The transmitter 815 transmits the sound source control signal Ct2 to the sound source unit 84 (S517).

[0104] If the output value does not fall under the above (S513; No), the sound source control signal does not need to be generated. After each process is completed, the process returns to S503. Note that, although the above describes the case where the foot lever rotates from the rest position toward the end position, the same applies to the case where the foot lever rotates from the end position toward the rest position. In this case, the control unit 81 may perform processing using the output value V2 (or output values ​​V3 to V4) calculated above.

[0105] In this embodiment, the performance sound is changed in the half pedal region using the information detected by the rotation sensor 172 and the output value and offset information corresponding to the position of the foot lever 100 detected by the stroke sensor 171. This makes it possible to adjust (calibrate) the position of the foot lever, particularly the position of the foot lever in the half pedal region (amount of depression), changes in the reaction force against the foot lever, and changes in the performance sound in real time, even if there is variation in the shape of the elastic member or changes over time.

[0106] Therefore, the performance sound can be changed according to the change in reaction force, just like when the damper pedal of an acoustic piano is depressed. In other words, by using this embodiment, the pedal position, the change in the load on the pedal, and the change in the performance sound can be stabilized.

[0107] In addition, the position of the tip 100fe of the second region 100f of the foot lever 100 in the half pedal region preferably includes a range of 5 mm forward and backward, more preferably a range of 2 mm forward and backward, in the rotation direction based on the position where a reaction force of 0.5 kg or more is applied to the foot lever 100 from the elastic member 166. In this region, the user can change the performance sound while feeling an appropriate reaction force, so that the user can perform the performance as he or she wishes.

[0108] In the present embodiment, an example has been shown in which the rotation sensor 172 detects the amount of rotation of the elastic member 166 when the elastic member 166 comes into contact with the protrusion 167 while the foot lever 100 is moving from the rest position to the end position, but the present invention is not limited to this. The rotation sensor 172 may detect the movement of the elastic member in a non-contact manner.

[0109] <Fifth embodiment> In this embodiment, an example in which the configurations of the first and third embodiments are combined will be described.

[0110] In this embodiment, the control unit may store in the storage unit the information detected by the contact sensor 173 when a predetermined condition is satisfied. In this example, the predetermined condition is the first rotation of the foot lever 100 when the electronic keyboard device 1 electrically connected to the foot lever 100 is started.

[0111] At the first rotation of the foot lever 100 when the electronic keyboard device 1 is started, the contact sensor 173 detects information linked to the movement of the elastic member 165A. For example, the contact sensor 173 may detect contact with the protrusion 161 of the elastic member 165A. The position (stroke St) of the foot lever 100 at this time is detected as the output value Vt by the stroke sensor 171. The control unit 81 calculates the output value V2 (V3 and V4) using the output value Vt and the offset Voffset as shown in the third embodiment. These pieces of information are stored in the storage unit 82 and remain stored until the electronic keyboard device 1 is turned off. Therefore, by using this embodiment, it is possible to stabilize the pedal position, the change in the load on the pedal, and the change in the performance sound while reducing the load on the contact sensor 173 and the control unit 81.

[0112] In the present embodiment, the contact sensor 173 detects contact with the protrusion 161 of the elastic member 165A, but is not limited thereto. The contact sensor 173 may detect contact between the first region 100r of the foot lever 100 and the elastic member 165A.

[0113] In the present embodiment, the control unit 81 stores the output value V2 (or the output values ​​V3 and V4) in the storage unit 82 at the first rotation of the foot lever 100 when the electronic keyboard device is started, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the output value V2 (or the output values ​​V3 and V4) may be stored when the rotation speed of the foot lever 100 satisfies a predetermined condition. In this example, the control unit 81 may store the output value V2 (or the output values ​​V3 and V4) in the storage unit 82 when the rotation speed of the foot lever 100 is slower than a set speed.

[0114] Alternatively, the setting may be based on an operation signal input to the operation unit 83 by the user. For example, when the user inputs an operation signal CS for setting the "setting mode" to the operation unit 83, the control unit 81 may store the output value V2 (or the output values ​​V3 and V4) in the storage unit 82. In the "setting mode", the control unit 81 stores the output value V2 (or the output values ​​V3 and V4) every time the foot lever 100 is rotated. When the user releases the setting mode, a signal for changing the playing sound when the foot lever 100 is subsequently operated is generated using the last stored first information and second information.

[0115] In this embodiment, the control unit 81 may obtain in advance the output value (e.g., voltage value) of the stroke sensor 171 at the beginning of rotation of the foot lever 100 and when contact is detected by the contact sensor 173. At this time, the control unit may estimate the output value (voltage value) at the time of full stroke. This makes it possible to obtain the output value (voltage value) corresponding to the stroke amount near the end position without being affected by the variation of the stroke sensor 171 (variable resistor).

[0116] <Modification> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and includes various other modified examples. For example, the above-described embodiment has been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and is not necessarily limited to an embodiment having all of the configurations described. Other configurations may be added to, deleted from, or substituted for a portion of the configuration of the embodiment. The following description will be given as an example of a modification of the first embodiment, but it may also be applied as an example of a modification of other embodiments.

[0117] In the first embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 81 and the storage unit 82 are provided on the keyboard body 91 side, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 81 or a part of the storage unit 82 may be provided in the pedal unit 10. This allows the pedal unit to be replaced independently. Also, adjustments can be made easily when a malfunction occurs in the pedal unit.

[0118] In the first embodiment of the present invention, a variable resistor is used as the stroke sensor 171, but the stroke sensor 171 may include an optical sensor for measuring the position of the first region 100r (amount of displacement from a reference position). The optical sensor can detect the position (amount of stroke) of the foot lever 100 by using reflected light.

[0119] In the first embodiment of the present invention, the elastic member 165 is a rubber member, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the elastic member 165 may have a spring shape like the elastic member 155, and may have a configuration that allows elastic deformation.

[0120] In the first and third embodiments of the present invention, the elastic member 155 and the elastic member 165 are used as the reaction member, but the present invention is not limited to this. Any reaction member that can apply a reaction force to the foot lever can be used as appropriate. For example, the reaction member may be a member that applies gravity or a member that applies friction.

[0121] In the third embodiment of the present invention, the elastic member 165A is disposed so as to cover the detection position (sensing portion 173a) of the contact sensor 173 from below, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the elastic member 165A may be provided on the foot lever 100. In this case, the protrusion 161 may not be provided inside the elastic member 165A, and a conductive material may be provided on the outer tip of the elastic member 165A. In this way, when the foot lever 100 rotates, the outer tip of the elastic member 165A comes into contact with the detection position of the contact sensor 173, so that the contact sensor 173 can output a predetermined detection signal. In addition, when a conductive material is provided on the outer tip of the elastic member 165A, ON / OFF information may be obtained by a sensor (for example, a distance sensor) different from the contact sensor 173.

[0122] In the first embodiment of the present invention, the case 190 is given as an example of an integrated structure, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, a circuit board may be used as the integrated structure. The circuit board may be disposed on the case. In this case, the stroke sensor 171 and the elastic member 165 are disposed on the circuit board. In the fourth embodiment, the stroke sensor 171 and the rotation sensor 172 may be disposed on the circuit board.

[0123] In addition, a pedal device of one embodiment of the present invention may include a memory unit that stores the first information, and a control unit that sends a first signal that changes the played sound based on information of the first position of the foot lever detected by the first sensor and the first information stored in the memory unit.

[0124] In addition, in the pedal device of one embodiment of the present invention, the first information may be stored according to a rotation state of the foot lever.

[0125] In addition, a pedal device of one embodiment of the present invention may include a second sensor different from the first sensor for detecting the first information, and a control unit for transmitting a first signal for changing the played sound based on information of the first position of the foot lever detected by the first sensor and the first information detected by the second sensor.

[0126] In addition, in one embodiment of the pedal device of the present invention, the foot lever may be further rotated from the first position to a second position corresponding to a preset offset, and the first signal may be transmitted when the first sensor detects the second position.

[0127] In addition, in the pedal device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the reaction member may have a rotation center, and the second sensor may obtain the first information based on an amount of rotation of the rotation center of the reaction member.

[0128] In addition, in the pedal device of one embodiment of the present invention, the control unit may store the first information detected by the second sensor in a storage unit when a predetermined condition is satisfied.

[0129] In addition, in a pedal device of one embodiment of the present invention, when a threshold value of the first sensor is reached and the second sensor does not detect the first information, the control unit may transmit the first signal to the sound source unit.

[0130] In addition, in the pedal device of one embodiment of the present invention, the first sensor may extract information relating to the position of the foot lever based on a predetermined condition.

[0131] In addition, in one embodiment of the pedal device of the present invention, the first information stored in the memory unit may be information set based on a change in the reaction force or a contact state between the foot lever and the reaction member.

[0132] In addition, in one embodiment of the pedal device, the position of the tip of the second portion of the foot lever when changing the played sound may be within a range of 5 mm before or after the position where the reaction force of 0.5 kg or more is applied.

[0133] Moreover, the pedal device of one embodiment of the present invention may further include an acquisition section that acquires a signal for rewriting the first information.

[0134] In addition, in the pedal device of one embodiment of the present invention, the rewritten first information may be reset to the first information before being rewritten, based on a reset signal input by a user operation.

[0135] In addition, in the pedal device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the reaction member may be a dome-shaped elastic member.

[0136] In addition, in one embodiment of the pedal device of the present invention, the predetermined condition may be a first rotation of the foot lever when a keyboard body electrically connected to the foot lever is started.

[0137] In addition, in the pedal device of one embodiment of the present invention, the structure may be either the case or the circuit board.

[0138] In addition, in one embodiment of the pedal device of the present invention, the structure may be the circuit board, the reaction member may include a second sensor, and the first sensor and the second sensor may be arranged on the circuit board.

[0139] In addition, in the pedal device of one embodiment of the present invention, the structure may be the case, and the first sensor and the reaction member may be disposed adjacent to each other on the same surface of the case. [Explanation of symbols]

[0140] 1···Electronic keyboard device, 10···Pedal unit, 10A···Pedal unit, 81···Control unit, 82···Memory unit, 83···Operation unit, 84···Sound source unit, 85···Display unit, 86···Speaker, 88···Keyboard unit, 89···Key press detection unit, 91···Keyboard body, 93···Support plate, 95···Support column, 100···Foot lever, 10 0c···Central region, 100f···Second region, 100fe···Tip portion, 100r···First region, 100s1···Upper surface, 100s2···Lower surface, 110···Foot lever, 111···Shaft support portion, 115···Shaft, 120···Bearing, 151···Support member, 153···Support member, 155···Elastic member, 161···Protrusion, 161a Tip portion, 165, elastic member, 165a, upper dome portion, 165A, elastic member, 165Ac, support portion, 165b, lower dome portion, 165c, support portion, 171, stroke sensor, 171a, sensing portion, 171b, engagement portion, 173, contact sensor, 173a, sensing portion, 173b, circuit Circuit board, 173op···hole portion, 181···lower stopper, 183···upper stopper, 190···case, 190b···bottom portion, 190f···front portion, 190op···hole portion, 190r···rear portion, 190u···ceiling portion, 195···auxiliary device, 811···acquisition portion, 812···determination portion, 813···sound source control signal generation portion, 815···transmission portion

Claims

1. A structure, a foot lever including a first region located inside the structure and a second region located outside the structure, the foot lever being rotatably disposed relative to the structure, the center of rotation being located between the first region and the second region; a reaction member supported by the structure and configured to apply a reaction force to the foot lever in the first region; a first sensor that detects a position of the foot lever during rotation of the foot lever; the first sensor is located on the first region side from the rotation center; Pedal device.

2. A structure, a foot lever including a first region located inside the structure and a second region located outside the structure, the foot lever being rotatably disposed relative to the structure, the center of rotation being located between the first region and the second region; a reaction member supported by the structure and configured to apply a reaction force to the foot lever in the first region; a first sensor that detects a position of the foot lever during rotation of the foot lever; The rotation center, the engagement position of the reaction member with respect to the structure, and the first sensor are provided in this order toward the first region. Pedal device.

3. A structure, a foot lever including a first region located inside the structure and a second region located outside the structure, the foot lever being rotatably disposed relative to the structure, the center of rotation being located between the first region and the second region; a reaction member supported by the structure and configured to apply a reaction force to the foot lever in the first region; a first sensor that detects a position of the foot lever during rotation of the foot lever; a calibration of the first information corresponding to a first position, which is a position of the foot lever that changes a performance sound, is performed by rewriting the first information based on a predetermined value designated by an operation unit; a control unit that sends a first signal to a sound source unit to change a performance sound in response to a change in the reaction force based on the rewritten first information and information about the position of the foot lever detected by the first sensor. Pedal device.

4. When a predetermined signal is input, a performance sound is changed in response to a change in the reaction force based on the first information before the rewriting and information regarding the position of the foot lever detected by the first sensor.

4. A pedal device according to claim 3.

5. A second sensor that detects first information corresponding to a first position, which is a position of the foot lever that changes a playing sound, different from the first sensor; a control unit that sends a first signal to a sound source unit to change a performance sound based on information on the first position of the foot lever detected by the first sensor and the first information detected by the second sensor, A pedal device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. The second sensor is disposed on an upper portion of the structure. A pedal device according to claim 5.

7. A pedal device as described in claim 5, wherein the reaction member is a spring that applies a reaction force within the rotational range of the foot lever.

8. The reaction member is a second reaction member that contacts the foot lever while the foot lever is rotating to apply a reaction force, and both the second sensor and the second reaction member are fixed to the structure via a support portion. A pedal device according to claim 5.

9. An electronic keyboard device including a pedal device described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A keyboard section having a plurality of keys; a calibration of the first information corresponding to a first position of a foot lever of a pedal device which changes a performance sound in response to a change in reaction force is performed by rewriting the first information based on a predetermined value designated by an operation unit; a control unit that sends a first signal to a sound source unit so as to change a performance sound in response to the change in the reaction force based on the rewritten first information and information about the position of the foot lever detected by a sensor; a sound source unit that generates a sound signal in response to the operation of the key and the first signal, Electronic keyboard device.

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