Electronic Percussion Controller Tone Lock Mechanism

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Solution Overview

Problem

In electronic percussion instruments, when changing tone kits, additional pads set for specific sounds, such as a splash cymbal, require frequent reconfiguration, which is inconvenient and prone to errors.

Innovation Solution

An electronic percussion controller with a selection input device, setting input device, and processor that allows users to lock a tone for a musical performance input device, ensuring the tone remains fixed even when changing tone kits, and provides notification to avoid accidental tone changes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the tone kit is changed, then the tones of all pads are automatically updated to the new kit's settings, but this causes inconvenience when a user wants to keep a specific pad's tone fixed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetone kit changeabilityVSAvoidpad tone reconfiguration frequency

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the tone assignment system into two independent parts: (1) the overall tone kit that can be changed, and (2) individual pad tone assignments that can be locked. This segmentation allows the user to change the tone kit while preserving specific pad assignments, resolving the contradiction between kit adaptability and operational convenience.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a tone lock function that can be activated in advance for specific pads. By setting the tone lock before changing the tone kit, the user ensures that the desired pad tones will be preserved during the kit change operation, eliminating the need for repeated reconfiguration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If a tone lock function is added to fix specific pad tones, then the convenience of maintaining fixed tones is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepad tone fixationVSAvoidcontroller functionality

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The tone lock function leverages existing controller resources (memory for storing assignment data, processing capability for managing tone kit changes) to provide an additional function without requiring separate dedicated hardware. The same memory and processor that handle tone kit management are used to implement the lock mechanism, minimizing the increase in device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS9916824B2Electronic percussion controller, instrument and method

Publication Date: 2018.03.13 YAMAHA CORP

AI summary

An electronic percussion instrument controller includes a selection input device, a setting input device and a processor. The selection input device is configured to select an instrument which defines a tone that corresponds to a musical performance input device. The setting input device is configured to selectively set a tone lock for the musical performance input device. The processor is programmed to maintain a set tone of the musical performance input device for which the tone lock is set by the setting device.