IP Library Granted Patent US 12670888
Granted Patent B2
US 12670888 · App. 17/732,075 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Electronic musical instrument, electronic musical instrument controlling method and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium

Inventors: Ken Terao (Iruma, JP); Tomomi Konishi (Fuchu, JP)
Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
G10H1/0008G10H1/348G10H7/002G10H2220/221G10H2220/265
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12670888
App. No.
17/732,075
Granted
Jun 30, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electronic musical instrument includes at least one function operator associated with at least one process, and at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor executes the followings, deciding that musical performance is being performed or not in response to an operation to the at least one function operator, in response to deciding that the musical performance is being performed, executing the at least one process associated with the at least one function operator, and in response to deciding that the musical performance is not being performed, not executing the process associated with the at least one function operator, despite being operated to the at least one function operator.

Claims (87)

1 . An electronic musical instrument comprising:

at least one musical performance operator that is operable by a user to perform a musical performance, the at least one performance operator being associated with a process for emission of a musical sound corresponding to the musical performance operator;

at least one function operator that is operable by the user by an operation distinct from an operation of the at least one musical performance operator, wherein the at least one function operator is associated with at least one process other than the process for emission of the musical sound; and

at least one processor that is configured to:

in response to an operation of the at least one musical performance operator, execute the process for emission of the musical sound;

in response to an operation of the at least one function operator, determine whether the musical performance is being performed via operation of the at least one musical performance operator,

in response to determining that the musical performance is not being performed, execute the at least one process associated with the operated at least one function operator,

in response to determining that the musical performance is being performed, not execute the process associated with the operated at least one function operator,

upon determining that the musical performance is not being performed, start measuring an elapsed time during which no musical performance is determined to be performed,

in response to the operation of the at least one function operator at a first timing before the elapsed time reaches a reference time, not execute the process associated with the at least one function operator, and

in response to the operation of the at least one function operator at a second timing when the elapsed time reaches or exceeds the reference time, execute the process associated with the at least one function operator.

2 . The electronic musical instrument according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a sound source which generates a musical sound signal which indicates the musical sound, wherein

the sound source

includes a plurality of waveform generators which each generate a waveform signal and

generates the musical sound signal in accordance with the waveform signals that the plurality of waveform generators generate,

wherein the at least one processor determines whether the musical performance is being performed depending on whether at least one of the plurality of waveform generators generates the waveform signal.

3 . The electronic musical instrument according to claim 2 , wherein:

the at least one musical performance operator comprises a plurality of musical performance operators, each of which is operable by the user to perform the musical performance,

the plurality of waveform generators includes at least one first waveform generator and at least one second waveform generator,

the at least one first waveform generator

generates the waveform signal in accordance with an operation of any of the plurality of musical performance operators, and

does not generate the waveform signal when there is no operation of any of the plurality of musical performance operators,

the at least one second waveform generator generates the waveform signal in accordance with a factor which is different from an operation of any of the plurality of musical performance operators, and

the at least one processor determines whether the musical performance is being performed depending on whether the at least one first waveform generator generates the waveform signal, regardless of whether the at least one second waveform generator generates the waveform signal.

4 . The electronic musical instrument according to claim 1 ,

wherein the at least one musical performance operator comprises a plurality of musical performance operators, each of which is operable by the user to perform the musical performance, and

wherein the at least one processor determines whether the musical performance is being performed depending on whether at least one of the plurality of musical performance operators is being operated.

5 . The electronic musical instrument according to claim 4 , wherein one of the plurality of musical performance operators includes a key or a pedal.

6 . A method for controlling an electronic musical instrument which includes (i) at least one musical performance operator that is operable by a user to perform a musical performance, the at least one performance operator being associated with a process for emission of a musical sound corresponding to the musical performance operator, and (ii) at least one function operator that is operable by the user by an operation distinct from an operation of the at least one musical performance operator, wherein the at least one function operator is associated with at least one process other than the process for emission of the musical sound, the method being executed by at least one processor, the method comprising:

receiving an operation of the at least one musical performance operator and executing the process for emission of the musical sound in response to the operation of the at least one musical performance operator,

receiving an operation of the at least one function operator, and in response to the operation of the at least one function operator, determining whether the musical performance is being performed via operation of the at least one musical performance operator,

in response to determining that the musical performance is not being performed, executing the at least one process associated with the operated at least one function operator,

in response to determining that the musical performance is being performed, not executing the process associated with the operated at least one function operator,

upon determining that the musical performance is not being performed, starting measurement of an elapsed time during which no musical performance is determined to be performed,

receiving an operation of the at least one function operator at a first timing before the elapsed time reaches a reference time, and, in response to receiving the operation of the at least one function operator at the first timing, not executing the process associated with the at least one function operator, and

receiving an operation of the at least one function operator at a second timing when the elapsed time reaches or exceeds the reference time, and, in response to receiving the operation of the at least one function operator at the second timing, executing the process associated with the at least one function operator.

7 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein the electronic musical instrument comprises a sound source which generates a musical sound signal which indicates the musical sound, the sound source including a plurality of waveform generators which each generate a waveform signal, the sound source generating the musical sound signal in accordance with the waveform signals that the plurality of waveform generators generate, the method further comprising:

generating, by the sound source, the musical sound signal, in accordance with the waveform signals generated by the plurality of waveform generators, and

determining whether the musical performance is being performed depending on whether at least one of the plurality of waveform generators generates the waveform signal.

8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein:

the plurality of waveform generators includes at least one first waveform generator and at least one second waveform generator,

in generating the musical sound signal:

each waveform signal is generated by the at least one first waveform generator in accordance with an operation of the at least one musical performance operator,

the waveform signal is not generated by the at least one first waveform generator when there is no operation of the at least one musical performance operator,

the waveform signal is generated by the at least one second waveform generator in accordance with a factor which is different from an operation of the at least one musical performance operator, and

the method comprises determining whether the musical performance is being performed depending on whether the at least one first waveform generator generates the waveform signal, regardless of whether the at least one second waveform generator generates the waveform signal.

9 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one musical performance operator comprises a plurality of musical performance operators,

wherein the method comprises determining whether the musical performance is being performed depending on whether at least one of the plurality of musical performance operators is operated.

10 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein one of the plurality of musical performance operators includes a key or a pedal.

11 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a program that is executable by a computer of an electronic musical instrument which includes (i) at least one musical performance operator that is operable by a user to perform a musical performance, the at least one performance operator being associated with a process for emission of a musical sound corresponding to the musical performance operator, and (ii) at least one function operator that is operable by the user by an operation distinct from an operation of the at least one musical performance operator, wherein the at least one function operator is associated with at least one process other than the process for emission of the musical sound, the program being executable by the computer to control the computer to perform functions comprising:

in response to an operation of the at least one musical performance operator, executing the process for emission of the musical sound,

in response to an operation of the at least one function operator, determining whether the musical performance is being performed via operation of the at least one musical performance operator,

in response to determining that the musical performance is not being performed, executing the at least one process associated with the operated at least one function operator,

in response to determining that the musical performance is being performed, not executing the process associated with the operated at least one function operator,

upon determining that the musical performance is not being performed, start measuring an elapsed time during which no musical performance is determined to be performed,

in response to the operation of the at least one function operator at a first timing before the elapsed time reaches a reference time, not execute the process associated with the at least one function operator, and

in response to the operation of the at least one function operator at a second timing when the elapsed time reaches or exceeds the reference time, execute the process associated with the at least one function operator.

12 . An electronic musical instrument comprising:

at least one musical performance operator that is operable by a user to perform a musical performance, the at least one performance operator being associated with a process for emission of a musical sound corresponding to the musical performance operator;

at least one function operator that is operable by the user by an operation distinct from an operation of the at least one musical performance operator, wherein the at least one function operator is associated with at least one process other than the process for emission of the musical sound; and

at least one processor that is configured to:

set one of a first mode and a second mode in accordance with a mode setting operation by the user, and

in response to an operation of the at least one function operator:

in a case in which the first mode is set, not execute the at least one process associated with the operated at least one function operator, and

in a case in which the second mode is set:

determine whether the musical performance is being performed via operation of the at least one musical performance operator,

in response to determining that the musical performance is not being performed, execute the at least one process associated with the operated at least one function operator,

in response to determining that the musical performance is being performed, not execute the at least one process associated with the operated at least one function operator,

upon determining that the musical performance is not being performed, start measuring an elapsed time during which no musical performance is determined to be performed,

in response to the operation of the at least one function operator at a first timing before the elapsed time reaches a reference time, not execute the process associated with the at least one function operator, and

in response to the operation of the at least one function operator at a second timing when the elapsed time reaches or exceeds the reference time, execute the process associated with the at least one function operator.

13 . The electronic musical instrument according to claim 12 , wherein

the at least one processor is configured to set one of the first mode, the second mode, and a third mode in accordance with the mode setting operation by the user, and

in response to the operation of the at least one function operator, in a case in which the third mode is set, execute the at least one process associated with the operated at least one function operator, regardless of whether the musical performance is being performed.

14 . A method for controlling an electronic musical instrument which includes (i) at least one musical performance operator that is operable by a user to perform a musical performance, the at least one performance operator being associated with a process for emission of a musical sound corresponding to the musical performance operator, (ii) at least one function operator that is operable by the user by an operation distinct from an operation of the at least one musical performance operator, the at least one function operator being associated with at least one process other than the process for emission of the musical sound, and (iii) a sound source which generates a musical sound signal which indicates the musical sound, the sound source including a plurality of waveform generators which each generate a waveform signal, the plurality of waveform generators including at least one first waveform generator and at least one second waveform generator, the sound source generating the musical sound signal in accordance with the waveform signals that the plurality of waveform generators generate, the method being executed by at least one processor, and the method comprising:

receiving an operation of the at least one musical performance operator and executing the process for emission of the musical sound in response to the operation of the at least one musical performance operator,

receiving an operation of the at least one function operator, and in response to the operation of the at least one function operator, determining whether the musical performance is being performed via operation of the at least one musical performance operator,

in response to determining that the musical performance is not being performed, executing the at least one process associated with the operated at least one function operator,

in response to determining that the musical performance is being performed, not executing the process associated with the operated at least one function operator,

generating, by the sound source, the musical sound signal, in accordance with the waveform signals generated by the plurality of waveform generators,

determining whether the musical performance is being performed depending on whether at least one of the plurality of waveform generators generates the waveform signal, and

in generating the musical sound signal:

each waveform signal is generated by the at least one first waveform generator in accordance with an operation of the at least one musical performance operator,

the waveform signal is not generated by the at least one first waveform generator when there is no operation of the at least one musical performance operator, and

the waveform signal is generated by the at least one second waveform generator in accordance with a factor which is different from an operation of the at least one musical performance operator,

wherein the method comprises determining whether the musical performance is being performed depending on whether the at least one first waveform generator generates the waveform signal, regardless of whether the at least one second waveform generator generates the waveform signal.