Keyboard device and sound generation control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12027144-B2
Application number	US-202318300952-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 14, 2023
Priority date	Dec 19, 2019
Publication date	Jul 2, 2024
Grant date	Jul 2, 2024

Abstract

A keyboard device includes a plurality of keys, and a keyboard driver configured to drive at least a part of the plurality of keys. The keyboard device is configured such that, in accordance with determination whether a key corresponding to a pitch of event data is drivable by the keyboard driver, sound is generated based on a first sound-generating process in which the keyboard driver is configured to drive the key corresponding to the pitch or a second sound-generating process that is different from the first sound-generating process.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A keyboard device comprising:
a plurality of keys;
a keyboard driver configured to drive at least a part of the plurality of keys;
a computer storage storing event data; and
an electronic controller that includes at least one processor and is configured to read out the event data from the computer storage,
the keyboard device being configured such that
when a key corresponding to a pitch of the event data read out from the computer storage is drivable by the keyboard driver, sound is generated based on a first sound-generating process in which the keyboard driver is configured to drive the key corresponding to the pitch of the event data read out from the computer storage, and
when the key corresponding to the pitch of the event data read out from the computer storage is not drivable by the keyboard driver, sound is generated based on a second sound-generating process in which the keyboard driver is configured to drive a different key corresponding to a different pitch that is different from the pitch of the event data read out from the computer storage.

2. The keyboard device according to claim 1 , further comprising
a sound generator configured to generate a sound signal corresponding to the pitch of the event data read out from the computer storage in the second sound-generating process.

3. The keyboard device according to claim 1 , further comprising
a sound generator configured to generate a sound signal corresponding to the pitch of the event data read out from the computer storage, wherein
in the second sound-generating process, the keyboard driver is configured to drive the different key corresponding to the different pitch, and the sound generator is configured to generate the sound signal corresponding to the pitch of the event data read out from the computer storage.

4. The keyboard device according to claim 1 , wherein
in the second sound-generating process,
the keyboard driver is configured to drive the key corresponding to the different pitch when the pitch of the event data read out from the computer storage is lower than a pitch range, the pitch range being a range in which pitches, which correspond to drivable keys that are drivable by the keyboard driver, are included, and
when the pitch of the event data read out from the computer storage is higher than the pitch range, the keyboard device is configured such that a sound signal corresponding to the pitch of the event data read out from the computer storage is generated.

5. The keyboard device according to claim 1 , wherein
the electronic controller is further configured to
generate a first control signal to control the keyboard driver to drive the key corresponding to the pitch of the event data read out from the computer storage in the first sound-generating process, and
generate a different signal that is different from the first control signal in the second sound-generating process.

6. The keyboard device according to claim 5 , wherein
in the second sound-generating process, the electronic controller is configured to generate, as the different signal, a second control signal to control the keyboard driver to drive a drivable key which is drivable by the keyboard driver and is different from the key corresponding to the pitch of the event data read out from the computer storage.

7. The keyboard device according to claim 5 , further comprising
a sound generator configured to generate a sound signal corresponding to the pitch of the event data read out from the computer storage, wherein
in the second sound-generating process, the electronic controller is further configured to generate, as the different signal, a sound generator event signal to cause the sound generator to generate the sound signal which corresponds to the pitch of the event data read out from the computer storage.

8. The keyboard device according to claim 5 , further comprising
a sound generator configured to generate a sound signal, wherein
in the second sound-generating process,
when the pitch of the event data read out from the computer storage is higher than a pitch range, the electronic controller is configured to generate, as the different signal, a sound generator event signal to cause the sound generator to generate the sound signal which corresponds to the pitch of the event data read out from the computer storage, the pitch range being a range in which pitches, which correspond to drivable keys that are drivable by the keyboard driver, are included, and
when the pitch of the event data read out from the computer storage is lower than the pitch range, the electronic controller is configured to generate, as the different signal, a second control signal to control the keyboard driver to drive a drivable key which is drivable by the keyboard driver and is different from the key corresponding to the pitch of the event data read out from the computer storage.

9. A sound generation control method comprising:
reading out event data from a computer storage;
generating sound based on a first sound-generating process, by driving a key corresponding to a pitch of the event data using a keyboard driver, when the key corresponding to the pitch of the event data is drivable by the keyboard driver, and
generating sound based on a second sound-generating process, by driving a different key using the keyboard driver, when the key corresponding to the pitch of the event data is not drivable by the keyboard driver, the different key corresponding to a different pitch that is different from the pitch of the event data.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process, the process comprising:
reading out event data from a computer storage;
generating sound based on a first sound-generating process, by driving a key corresponding to a pitch of the event data using a keyboard driver, when the key corresponding to the pitch of the event data is drivable by the keyboard driver, and
generating sound based on a second sound-generating process, by driving a different key using the keyboard driver, when the key corresponding to the pitch of the event data is not drivable by the keyboard driver, the different key corresponding to a different pitch that is different from the pitch of the event data.

11. An electronic controller that executes the program read from the non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 10 .

12. A key drive device comprising:
a keyboard driver configured to drive at least a part of plurality of keys; and
the electronic controller according to claim 11 .

13. A keyboard device comprising:
a plurality of keys;
a keyboard driver configured to drive at least a part of the plurality of keys;
a communication interface configured to receive event data from outside of the keyboard device; and
an electronic controller that includes at least one processor and is configured to acquire the event data via the communication interface from the outside of the keyboard device,
the keyboard device being configured such that
when a key corresponding to a pitch of the event data acquired from the outside of the keyboard device is drivable by the keyboard driver, sound is generated based on a first sound-generating process in which the keyboard driver is configured to drive the key corresponding to the pitch of the event data acquired from the outside of the keyboard device, and
when the key corresponding to the pitch of the event data acquired from the outside of the keyboard device is not drivable by the keyboard driver, sound is generated based on a second sound-generating process in which the

Assignees

• Yamaha Corp

Inventors

• Okuyama Fukutaro
• Niiho Ryutaro
• Uehara Haruki

Classifications

• G10H1/0008

  Associated control or indicating means · CPC title

• G10H1/0066 Primary

  using a MIDI interface · CPC title

• G10H2210/066

  for pitch analysis as part of wider processing for musical purposes, e.g. transcription, musical performance evaluation; Pitch recognition, e.g. in polyphonic sounds; Estimation or use of missing fundamental · CPC title

• G10F1/02 Primary

  Pianofortes with keyboard · CPC title

• G10H2220/351

  Environmental parameters, e.g. temperature, ambient light, atmospheric pressure, humidity, used as input for musical purposes · CPC title