Music – Instruments – Electrical musical tone generation
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-28
2001-01-30
Donels, Jeffrey (Department: 2837)
Music
Instruments
Electrical musical tone generation
C084S645000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06180862
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a tone parameter editing method and system which use a communication network to edit parameters that define characteristics of tones to be generated, and also relates to a tone generating method and system which generate a tone by use of the edited parameters.
Parameter editing apparatus or systems for use in electronic musical instruments have been known which are designed to permit creation of a variety of sounds by varying parameters that define characteristics of tones to be generated. Among various types of such parameter editing apparatus or systems are one where a list of all editable tone parameters is visually shown on a display to allow the thus-displayed parameters to be modified in value as desired for editing purposes, and one where the tone parameters are edited while envelope waveforms of the tone parameters set to particular values are also graphically displayed to show a corresponding relation between the set values and the envelope waveforms specified thereby.
However, because items of the tone parameters to be set tend to greatly differ depending on properties and types of tone colors and tonal effects to be imparted, the conventionally-known editing apparatus would require a complicated construction if all the tone parameters for a great number of tone colors are to be edited solely by the single editing system. Where, on the other hand, the editing system is designed to edit only some, such as the “greatest common divisors”, of the items of the tone parameters, tone parameter items that can not be set at all would unavoidably arise with certain of the tone colors, which would lead to dissatisfaction of a user. A plurality of the editing apparatus may be provided in order to cover all of the tone parameters likely to be edited; however, this approach would impose great economic and other burdens on the user. The same inconveniences would be encountered in cases where the tone parameters are edited by software using an editor or editing program.
Further, in recent years, it has become possible to create musical tone colors not existing in reality, by virtue of emergence of physical model tone sources or generators that are designed to simulate the tone generation principles of natural musical instruments by use of electric models; a typical example of such physical model tone generators is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. HEI-5-80761. Consequently, the tone parameters are getting more and more diverse and complex, which would present an increasing difficulty in editing the tone parameters for a great number of tone colors.
Japanese patent publication No. 62-49635 discloses a parameter information setting device for use in an electronic musical instrument, wherein the parameter information setting device is separated from the electronic musical instrument, connected to the instrument via a wiring cable, and provided with an input device for editing tone parameters and a tone parameter editing mechanism or program as well. While the tone parameters edited by the parameter information setting device are supplied to the electonic musical instrument via the wiring cable, an input for editing and editing processing responsive to the input are exclusively performed by the parameter information setting device by means of the input device and the tone parameter editing mechanism or program thereof, and the electronic musical instrument only receives the supplied tone parameters. Thus, it is also necessary for the parameter information setting device as shown in the Japanese patent publication to be provided with a plurality of the editing mechanisms or programs in order to cover all of the tone parameters likely to be edited.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a tone parameter editing method and system which can edit tone parameters for a number of tone colors and/or other characteristics of tones without providing a plurality of editing devices, mechanisms or programs.
In order to accomplish the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a method of editing a parameter defining a characteristic of a tone by use of at least two computers interconnected via a communication network, which comprises: a first step of accepting a parameter editing input by means of a first one of the computers; a second step of transmitting data, corresponding to the parameter editing input accepted by the first computer, to a second one of the computers via the communication network; a third step of using at least the second computer to execute parameter editing processing responsive to the data transmitted to the second computer and then sending a result of the executed parameter editing processing back to the first computer via the communication network; and a fourth step of receiving, by means of the first computer, the result of the parameter editing processing sent back by the third step.
In a typical application, the first computer is a client computer while the second computer is a server computer. In this invention, the client computer itself need not be equipped with an editor, i.e., an editing program; instead, it can utilize an editor or editing program, provided remotely from the client computer, on an on-line basis via the communication network. In this case, desired editing data is just input to the client computer, so that the editor or editing program of the server machine is run on-line in response to the editing data input and a result of the editing (edited result) is sent back to the client computer via the communication network. In this way, the edited result can be used by the client computer in tone generation or other tone- or music-related processing purposes etc. Thus, it is no longer necessary for the client computer to be equipped with a plurality of editing devices or editing programs in order to serve a variety of tone parameter editing as desired by the user, and it is possible to significantly reduce the load on the client computer and hence the user of the client computer.
As one example, the third step may cause a third one of the computers on the communication network to carry out the parameter editing processing, responsive to the transmitted data, using the communication network and through a data relay by the second computer. In this way, even where the second computer is unable to execute the parameter editing processing as requested by the first computer, the second computer can conduct the relay such that the requested parameter editing processing is executed by the third computer capable of that editing processing. Therefore, by only designating and communicating with a particular computer (the second or server computer), the client computer can make use of any desired editing programs (even an editing program not owned by the designated computer), which can be very convenient to the user.
In the context of the present invention, the “computers” may be devices or equipment containing a processor or central processing unit (CPU), i.e., devices or equipment having a processor or computer function, rather than general-purpose or independent computers such as personal computers. Namely, the terms “computers” as used in connection with the present invention should be construed as encompassing even some form of special-purpose devices, such as keyboard-based instruments, automatic performance sequencer modules, tone generator modules, keyboard modules, automatic rhythm modules or editor modules, as long as they contain a processor or computer.
Further, the present invention may be implemented as a system or apparatus invention as well as a method invention. What is more, the present invention may be implemented as a program for use with a computer or a processor such as a DSP, or as a recording medium storing such a program.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5563359 (1996-10-01), Okamura
patent: 5732219 (1998-03-01), Blumer et al.
patent: 5739454 (1998-04-01), Kunimoto
patent: 5880386 (1999-03-01), Wachi et al.
patent:
Donels Jeffrey
Morrison & Foerster
Yamaha Corporation
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