Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080314230 | ELECTRONIC PROOF SYSTEM AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENT EQUIPPED WITH THE SAME - An electronic proof system is provided in association with an automatic player piano; while a human player is practicing a music tune on the acoustic piano, the electronic proof system monitors the pedals of piano to see whether or not the player brings the pedals to target pedal positions; if the current pedal position is spaced from the target pedal position, the electronic proof system gives rise to fine vibrations of the pedal, and makes the player notice the pedal staying at incorrect pedal position through the tactile impression. | 12-25-2008 |
20090013856 | ELECTRONIC ASSISTANT SYSTEM FOR LESSON IN MUSIC AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENT EQUIPPED WITH THE SAME - While a player is fingering a music tune on a piano, an electronic assistant system monitors the keys to see whether or not the player starts to produce tones through a particular playing technique such as repetition; when the electronic assistant system finds particular key movements unique to the particular playing technique in an early stage, the electronic assistant system decides that the player intends to produce the tone through the particular playing technique, and forces the key to travel on a reference key trajectory in the later stage, whereby the player learns the particular playing technique. | 01-15-2009 |
20100288102 | ELECTRONIC SUPPORTING SYSTEM FOR MUSICIANS AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENT EQUIPPED WITH THE SAME - An automatic player piano is equipped with an electronic supporting system, which makes a player learn an optimum pedal stroke to a half pedal region; while the player is practicing a music tune on the piano, the electronic supporting system monitors the damper pedal; when the player starts to depress the damper pedal, the electronic supporting system exerts an assisting force on the damper pedal so as to make the player feel the damper pedal light; when the damper pedal reaches an entrance of the half pedal region, the electronic supporting system removes the assisting force from the damper pedal so that the player feels the damper pedal heavy, whereby the player learns the pedal stroke to the half pedal region through the change of load borne by the player. | 11-18-2010 |
20110185876 | KEYBOARD MUSICAL INSTRUMENT - A keyboard musical instrument provides plural keys of a keyboard to be driven by an automatic playing system; although the automatic playing system selectively drives the keys in accordance with a performance rule expressing a music tune, a motion controller of the automatic playing system changes the performance rule if the human player drives the keys different from those defined in the performance rule so that the automatic playing system changes a part of the music tune in real time fashion during the automatic performance. | 08-04-2011 |
20130180376 | DRIVE MECHANISM OF LIFTING RAIL FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENT AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENT INCLUDING THE SAME - A drive mechanism of a lifting rail for a musical instrument including a lifting rail, the drive mechanism including: a connection member connected to the lifting rail; and a movement-force giving mechanism configured to move the lifting rail via the connection member, wherein the lifting rail includes: a hollow portion opening at one end; and a through-hole formed through an upright wall portion of the lifting rail, wherein the connection member includes: an insertion member having an attachment hole corresponding to the through-hole; a fixing member for connecting the lifting rail and the connection member; and a contact portion configured to come into contact with the one end of the lifting rail when the insertion member is inserted in the hollow portion by a prescribed distance so as to prevent the insertion member from being further inserted in the hollow portion, thereby positioning the attachment hole relative to the through-hole. | 07-18-2013 |
20130180377 | MUSICAL INSTRUMENT EQUIPPED WITH A PEDAL, AND METHOD THEREFOR - In a player piano, a position sensor is provided cm an end portion of a lifting rail for detecting a vertical position of the lifting rail. In storing performance data of dampers, a signal output from the position sensor and indicative of a vertical position of the lifting rail is converted into a digital signal, and a position value indicative of the position of the lifting rail is generated on the basis of the digital signal and stored into a buffer. A conversion section converts the position value into a vertical position of a pedal rod connected to a damper pedal, and the thus-converted vertical position is converted, into a control value which a control change message of the damper pedal in MIDI-format data can take. The control value obtained in the aforementioned manner can be recorded into a recording medium as performance information. | 07-18-2013 |
20130180391 | DAMPER DRIVE DEVICE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENT, AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENT - An elongated lifting rail is displaceable to collectively pivot a plurality of damper levers. An actuator is provided beside or underneath the lifting rail for automatically displacing the lifting rail. The lifting rail is displaced, in response to driving of the actuator, to displace the damper levers so that the dampers are moved away from contact with sounding members. Further, a position sensor is provided for detecting a displaced position of the lifting rail, so that position data detected by the position sensor is used for operating position control and/or operating position recording of the dampers. | 07-18-2013 |
20140020543 | KEYBOARD MUSICAL INSTRUMENT, METHOD OF CONTROLLING ACTUATOR IN THE KEYBOARD MUSICAL INSTRUMENT, AND NON-TRANSITORY RECORDING MEDIUM STORING PROGRAM FOR CONTROLLING THE ACTUATOR - A keyboard musical instrument including: a key; a hammer; an actuator configured to drive at least one of the key and the hammer in a movement direction in which the at least one of the key and the hammer moves in a key depression stroke; a hammer detector configured to detect a hammer-motion related value that relates to a motion of the hammer; a trajectory generator configured to generate a target trajectory of the at least one of the key and the hammer based on automatic performance information that defines a motion target value of the at least one of the key and the hammer; a feedback-value generator configured to generate a feedback value based on the hammer-motion related value in automatic performance detected by the hammer detector; and a controller configured to servo-control the actuator based on the generated target trajectory and the generated feedback value. | 01-23-2014 |
20140130652 | SIMULATING MUTING IN A DRIVE CONTROL DEVICE FOR STRIKING MEMBER IN SOUND GENERATION MECHANISM - A sound generation mechanism, provided with a string for generating a vibration sound in response to striking by a hammer, is automatically played in accordance with performance data. The performance data include striking data (note-on event data) for designating timing at which the string should be struck by the hammer, velocity data indicative of an intensity of the striking, and muting data (soft pedal data) for controlling muting. A controller determines drive start timing of the hammer in accordance with the velocity data in such a manner that the string is struck by the hammer at the timing designated by the striking data and performs control such that the drive start timing is advanced in accordance with the muting data. Thus, the string is struck at the striking timing designated by the striking data, but also muting control is performed in accordance with the muting data. | 05-15-2014 |
20140150623 | RECORDING AND REPRODUCTION OF WAVEFORM BASED ON SOUND BOARD VIBRATIONS - In a musical instrument, such as a piano, having a sound board, the sound board vibrates in response to vibrations of a string responsive to depression of a key. A waveform corresponding to such vibrations of the sound board is detected and recorded. The recorded vibration waveform is usable for reproduction of a sound based on sound board vibrations. In a sound reproduction apparatus, such as a piano, having a sound board, an excitation device physically excitable in response to an input waveform is provided on the sound board. A signal indicative of a vibration waveform of the sound board is received, and the excitation device is driven in accordance with the received waveform signal so that the sound board is vibrated. Thus, a sound based on the sound board vibrations can be replicated or reproduced with a high quality. | 06-05-2014 |
20140150624 | RECORDING AND REPRODUCTION OF WAVEFORM BASED ON SOUND BOARD VIBRATIONS - In a musical instrument, such as a piano, having a sound board, the sound board vibrates in response to vibrations of a string responsive to depression of a key. A waveform corresponding to such vibrations of the sound board is detected and recorded into a memory for each of the keys. The recorded vibration waveform is usable for reproduction of a sound based on sound board vibrations. In a sound reproduction apparatus, such as a piano, having a sound board, an excitation device physically excitable in response to an input waveform is provided on the sound board. In response to an operation of a key, a sound board vibration waveform corresponding to the operated key is read out from the memory, and the excitation device is driven in accordance with the read-out waveform signal so that the sound board is vibrated. | 06-05-2014 |
20140182444 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR IDENTIFYING HALF POINT OF PEDAL ON KEYBOARD MUSICAL INSTRUMENT - A key depression (i.e., string striking) is performed while a pedal is kept at a set non-key-depressed-state corresponding position (a rest position of a hammer). A string striking velocity immediately before string striking and a string releasing velocity immediately after the string striking are detected, and a coefficient of rebound is calculated on the basis of the detected velocities and stored in association with the current value of the rest position of the hammer. Similar operations are repetitively performed with individual ones of different rest positions of the hammer, wherein each of the different rest positions of the hammer corresponding to each of a plurality of stroke positions within one stroke of the pedal. Thus, a distribution curve of the coefficients of rebound detected in association with the plurality of stroke positions is obtained and a half point of the pedal is identified based on the distribution curve. | 07-03-2014 |
20140305276 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IDENTIFYING HALF PEDAL REGION IN KEYBOARD MUSICAL INSTRUMENT - Each of Dampers provided for each of keys is controlled in response to both an operation of a damper pedal and an operation of the corresponding key. For each of the dampers and over one stroke of the pedal in at least one of depressing releasing directions of the pedal, load information indicative of loads imposed on a portion linked to the damper is acquired in association with individual stroke positions of the pedal. Then, for each of the dampers, a half pedal region is identified on the basis of relationship between the stroke positions and the loads corresponding to the stroke positions. The portion linked to the damper may be any suitable portion related to a damper lever moving in an up-down direction in interlocked relation to both of vertical movement of a lifting rail responsive to an operation of the pedal and an operation of the key. | 10-16-2014 |
20140305277 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IDENTIFYING KEY-DAMPER HALF REGION OF KEYBOARD MUSICAL INSTRUMENT - For each key and without damping action of dampers deactivated by a damper pedal, loads imposed on a portion of the key acting on the damper are measured while the key is moved over one stroke in at least one of key-depressing and key-releasing directions, in association with a plurality of stroke positions in the one stroke of the key. For each key, a key-damper half region is identified on the basis of relationship between the individual stroke positions and the measured loads corresponding to the stroke positions. Then, on the basis of the key-damper half regions identified for the individual keys, a half point is determined separately for each of the keys, or a half point common to a group of a plurality of the keys is determined. | 10-16-2014 |
20140305285 | KEYBOARD MUSICAL INSTRUMENT, AND METHOD FOR RECORDING HALF PERFORMANCE OF PEDAL OR KEY DAMPER ON KEYBOARD MUSICAL INSTRUMENT - Dampers provided in corresponding relation to a plurality of keys are each controlled in response to both an operation of a pedal and an operation of the corresponding key. One half region or half point is determined based on a plurality of half pedal regions or half pedal points, in a stroke of the pedal, specific to the individual dampers. Performance data instructing a pedal operation is generated and recorded on the basis of a stroke position detected in response to a pedal operation and the determined one half region or half point. For each of the keys, a key-damper half region or key-damper half point in a stroke of the key is identified in advance. Performance data instructing key operations is generated and recorded on the basis of the key-damper half regions or key-damper half points specific to the keys and stroke positions detected in response to key operations. | 10-16-2014 |
20140305286 | KEYBOARD MUSICAL INSTRUMENT, AND METHOD FOR REPRODUCING HALF PERFORMANCE OF PEDAL OR KEY DAMPER ON KEYBOARD MUSICAL INSTRUMENT - One half region or point is determined based on a plurality of half pedal regions or points, in a stroke of a pedal, specific to the individual dampers corresponding to keys. When a pedal reproduction event instructs a half region or point, a target trajectory of the stroke of the pedal is generated such that the pedal is positioned at the half region or point specific to the key, and the pedal is driven on the basis of the target trajectory. For each key, a key-damper half region or point in a stroke of the key is identified in advance. In response to a key reproduction event instructing half control, a target trajectory of the stroke of the key is generated such that the key is positioned at the key-damper half region or point specific to the key, and the key is driven based on the target trajectory. | 10-16-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110280597 | VOLTAGE DETECTION DEVICE AND IMAGE HEATING DEVICE - The voltage detection device includes a first voltage detection part for detecting whether or not a time period ratio during which a voltage of an AC power supply is equal to or larger than a first threshold value is equal to or larger than a first ratio and a second voltage detection part for detecting whether or not a time period ratio during which the voltage of the AC power supply is lower than the first threshold value and equal to or larger than a second threshold value is equal to or larger than a second ratio higher than the first ratio, and determines whether the voltage of the AC power supply is a first commercial voltage or a second commercial voltage lower than the first commercial voltage based on results obtained by the first voltage detection part and by the second voltage detection part. | 11-17-2011 |
20110305469 | HEATING APPARATUS AND VOLTAGE DETECTION APPARATUS - A voltage detection apparatus is configured to detect a voltage value applied to a first or second current path of a heater. The voltage detection apparatus detects a first period during which the voltage value of the first or second current path exceeds a threshold voltage as well as a second period during which electric power is supplied to the first current path or the second current path to control the electric power supplied to the first and second current paths. The voltage detection apparatus uses a detection result to detect a state where over-power is supplied to the heater. | 12-15-2011 |
20130266333 | HEATING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The heating apparatus includes a heat generating member which generates heat when power is supplied from an AC power supply, a temperature detection device which detects temperature of the heat generating member, a current detection device which detects a value of current flowing in the heat generating member; and a control unit which controls the temperature of the heat generating member by controlling power supplied to the heat generating member, in which the control unit detects a drop of an input voltage of the AC power supply based on a maximum suppliable power ratio determined by using a value of current suppliable to the heat generating member, the current value detected by the current detection device, and a ratio of power supplied to the heat generating member obtained based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection device. | 10-10-2013 |
20140169845 | FIXING DEVICE AND HEATER USED IN FIXING DEVICE - A heater used for a fixing device includes a substrate, first and second conductor patterns formed at either end of the substrate in the short direction of the substrate, a third conductor pattern formed between the first and second conductor patterns and separated from the two conductor patterns, a first heating member disposed between the first and third conductor patterns and electrically connected to the two conductor patterns, and a second heating member disposed between the second and third conductor patterns and electrically connected to the conductor patterns. The heater has both end regions in which the widths of the third conductor pattern in the short direction is smaller than that of a middle portion of the third conductor pattern. The widths of the first and second heating members in the end regions are smaller than the widths of the first and second heating members in the other region, respectively. | 06-19-2014 |
20140341603 | SWITCHING CONTROL APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The switching control apparatus includes a switching driving unit for turning on and off the switch, a control-purpose power supply for outputting electric power, a power transmission unit provided between the switching driving unit and the control-purpose power supply, for supplying or cutting off electric power from the control-purpose power supply to the switching driving unit, and a control unit for controlling the power transmission unit. The control unit controls the switching driving unit to turn the switch on or off, during a period in which the electric power from the power supply to the switching driving unit is cut off by the power transmission unit, or supplied from the power supply to the switching driving unit. | 11-20-2014 |