Musical sound generation device, musical sound generation method, storage medium, and electronic musical instrument

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10474387-B2
Application number	US-201816046861-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 26, 2018
Priority date	Jul 28, 2017
Publication date	Nov 12, 2019
Grant date	Nov 12, 2019

Abstract

When transferring waveform data from a waveform region in a high-capacity flash memory to a waveform buffer in a RAM, first, whether a non-ring buffer region that can receive the waveform data can be allocated in the RAM is determined, and if so, the waveform data is transferred to the allocated non-ring buffer region. If such a non-ring buffer region cannot be allocated, then whether a ring buffer region that can receive the waveform data can be allocated in the RAM is determined, and if so, the waveform data is transferred to the ring-buffer region in a ring buffer operational manner.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A musical sound generation device, comprising:
a performance operation element for receiving a user operation for musical performance;
a first memory storing a plurality of pieces of waveform data;
a second memory having an access speed faster than the first memory for temporarily storing data transferred from the first memory;
a processor that transfers data stored in the first memory to the second memory; and
a sound source circuit including a waveform reader that can read data only from the second memory for generating digital musical sounds,
wherein in response to an operation of the performance operation element designating a specific piece of waveform data, the processor determines whether the designated specific piece of waveform data is already in the second memory, and if not, attempts to allocate a non-ring buffer region or a ring buffer region in the second memory, the non-ring buffer region being to store an entirety of the designated specific piece of waveform data to be read by the waveform reader in response to the operation of the performance operation element, the ring buffer region being to store the designated specific piece of waveform data as a ring buffer so as to be updated by data from the first memory and read by the waveform reader in a ring-buffer manner in response to the operation of the performance operation element,
wherein in attempting to allocate the non-ring buffer region or the ring buffer region, the processor first determines whether the non-ring buffer region sufficient to receive the designated specific piece of waveform data can be allocated in the second memory, and if so, transfers the designated specific piece of waveform data from the first memory to the non-ring buffer region of the second memory, and
wherein, if the non-ring buffer region sufficient to receive the designated specific piece of waveform data cannot be allocated in the second memory, the processor attempts to allocate the ring buffer region in the second memory, and if allocated, transfers the designated specific piece of waveform data from the first memory to the ring buffer region of the second memory in the ring-buffer manner so as to be accessible by the waveform reader as the ring buffer.

2. The musical sound generation device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor allocates the non-ring buffer region so that a size of the non-ring buffer region matches a size of the designated specific piece of waveform data, thereby dynamically allocating the non-ring buffer region.

3. The musical sound generation device according to claim 2 , wherein in dynamically allocating the non-ring buffer region, the processor divides an existing buffer region or merge two or more of existing buffer regions in the second memory depending on the size of the designated specific piece of waveform data and sizes of the existing buffer regions in the second memory.

4. The musical sound generation device according to claim 2 , wherein when the processor cannot allocate the ring buffer region in the second memory, the processor assigns a region already storing other pieces of waveform data in the second memory as a ready-for-transfer region that is ready for transfer of waveform data, and transfers the designated specific piece of waveform data to the ready-for-transfer region so allocated.

5. A method executed by a processor in a musical sound generation device that includes, in addition to the processor: a performance operation element for receiving a user operation for musical performance; a first memory storing a plurality of pieces of waveform data; a second memory having an access speed faster than the first memory for temporarily storing data transferred from the first memory; a sound source circuit including a waveform reader that can read data only from the second memory for generating digital musical sounds, the method comprising:
in response to an operation of the performance operation element designating a specific pieces of waveform data, determining whether the designated specific piece of waveform data is already in the second memory, and if not, attempting to allocate a non-ring buffer region or a ring buffer region in the second memory, the non-ring buffer region being to store an entirety of the designated specific piece of waveform data to be read by the waveform reader in response to the operation of the performance operation element, the ring buffer region being to store the designated specific piece of waveform data as a ring buffer so as to be updated by data from the first memory and read by the waveform reader in a ring-buffer manner in response to the operation of the performance operation element;
in attempting to allocate the non-ring buffer region or the ring buffer region, first determining whether the non-ring buffer region sufficient to receive the designated specific piece of waveform data can be allocated in the second memory, and if so, transferring the designated specific piece of waveform data from the first memory to the non-ring buffer region of the second memory; and
if the non-ring buffer region sufficient to receive the designated specific piece of waveform data cannot be allocated in the second memory, attempting to allocate the ring buffer region in the second memory, and if allocated, transferring the designated specific piece of waveform data from the first memory to the ring buffer region of the second memory in the ring-buffer manner so as to be accessible by the waveform reader as the ring buffer.

6. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon a program to be executable by a processor in a musical sound generation device that includes, in addition to the processor: a performance operation element for receiving a user operation for musical performance; a first memory storing a plurality of pieces of waveform data; a second memory having an access speed faster than the first memory for temporarily storing data transferred from the first memory; a sound source circuit including a waveform reader that can read data only from the second memory for generating digital musical sounds, the program causing the processor to perform the following:
in response to an operation of the performance operation element designating a specific pieces of waveform data, determining whether the designated specific piece of waveform data is already in the second memory, and if not, attempting to allocate a non-ring buffer region or a ring buffer region in the second memory, the non-ring buffer region being to store an entirety of the designated specific piece of waveform data to be read by the waveform reader in response to the operation of the performance operation element, the ring buffer region being to store the designated specific piece of waveform data as a ring buffer so as to be updated by data from the first memory and read by the waveform reader in a ring-buffer manner in response to the operation of the performance operation element;
in attempting to allocate the non-ring buffer region or the ring buffer region, first determining whether the non-ring buffer region sufficient to receive the designated specific piece of waveform data can be allocated in the second memory, and if so, transferring the designated specific piece of waveform data from the first memory to the non-ring buffer region of the second memory; and
if the non-ring buffer region sufficient to receive the designated specific piece of waveform data cannot be allocated in the second memory, attempting to allocate the ring buffer region in the second memory, and if allocated, transferring the designated specific piece of waveform data from the first memory to the ring buffer region of the second memory in the ring-buffer manner so as to be accessible by the waveform re

Assignees

• Casio Computer Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sato Hiroki
• Kawashima Hajime

Classifications

• G10H2230/031

  Use of cache memory for electrophonic musical instrument processes, e.g. for improving processing capabilities or solving interfacing problems · CPC title

• G10H7/045

  using an auxiliary register or set of registers, e.g. a shift-register, in which the amplitudes are transferred before being read · CPC title

• G10H1/24 Primary

  for selecting plural preset register stops · CPC title

• G06F3/0647 Primary

  Migration mechanisms · CPC title

• G10H2240/161

  Memory and use thereof, in electrophonic musical instruments, e.g. memory map · CPC title