Music – Instruments – Electrical musical tone generation
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-22
2002-04-02
Witkowski, Stanley J. (Department: 2837)
Music
Instruments
Electrical musical tone generation
C084S625000, C084S627000, C084S633000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06365818
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to apparatus and methods for producing waveforms of musical tones, voices or other sounds on the basis of waveform data supplied from memory or the like, and more particularly to an improved waveform producing apparatus and method capable of producing waveforms that faithfully represent tone color variations effected by a player using various styles of rendition (i.e., performing techniques) or various sorts of articulation unique to a natural musical instrument. It should be appreciated that the basic principles of the present invention can be applied extensively to every type of equipment, apparatus and methods having the function of generating musical tones, voices or any other sounds, such as automatic performance devices, computers, electronic game devices and multimedia-related devices, not to mention electronic musical instruments. Also, let it be assumed that the terms “tone waveform” in this specification are not necessarily limited to a waveform of a musical tone alone and are used in a much broader sense that may embrace a waveform of a voice or any other type of sound.
The so-called “waveform memory readout” technique has already been well known, which prestores waveform data (i.e., waveform sample data) coded in a given coding scheme, such as the PCM (Pulse Code Modulation), DPCM (Differential Pulse Code Modulation) or ADPCM (Adaptive Differential Pulse Code Modulation), and then reads out the thus-prestored waveform data at a rate corresponding to a desired tone pitch to thereby produce a tone waveform. So far, various types of “waveform memory readout” technique have been proposed and known in the art, most of which are directed to producing a waveform covering from the start to end of a tone. As one specific example of the waveform memory readout technique, there has been known a scheme of prestoring waveform data of a complete waveform of a tone covering from the start to end thereof. As another example of the waveform memory readout technique, there has been known a scheme of prestoring waveform data of a complete waveform only for a particular portion, such as an attach portion, of a tone presenting relatively complex variations and prestoring a predetermined loop waveform for a sustain portion and the like presenting less variations. In this patent specification, the terms “loop waveform” are used to refer to a waveform to be read out repeatedly, i.e., in a looped fashion.
With the conventional waveform memory readout scheme of prestoring waveform data of a complete waveform of a tone covering from the start to end thereof or prestoring waveform data of a complete waveform only for a particular portion, such as an attach portion, of a tone, however, it has been necessary to prestore a great number of various waveform data corresponding to a variety of styles of rendition (or various sorts of articulation), which would undesirably require a large storage capacity.
Further, although the above-mentioned scheme of prestoring waveform data of a complete waveform of a tone can faithfully express tone color variations effected using various styles of rendition (or various sorts of articulation) unique to a natural musical instrument, it can only reproduce the tone in just the same way as the prestored waveform data and thus would afford very poor controllability and editability. For instance, with this waveform memory readout scheme, it has been extremely difficult to control time-axial and other characteristics of the waveform data, corresponding to a desired style of rendition (or sort of articulation), in accordance with performance data.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a waveform producing method and apparatus which can produce high-quality waveform data corresponding to a variety of styles of rendition (or various sorts of articulation) in a simplified manner with greatly increased facility and controllability.
In order to accomplish the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a waveform producing method which comprises the steps of: receiving style-of-rendition stream data describing a series of performance tones by a combination of a plurality of styles of rendition; generating vector data to be used for producing waveforms for the styles of rendition, on the basis of the received style-of-rendition stream data; and producing waveforms corresponding to the styles of rendition described by the style-of-rendition stream data, on the basis of the generated vector data.
According to the present invention thus arranged, a waveform corresponding to a tone performed with desired styles of rendition can be produced from vector data generated on the basis of received style-of-rendition stream data. The style-of-rendition stream data describes a series of performance tones by a combination of characteristics of a plurality of styles of rendition. For example, there may be combined styles of rendition corresponding to partial tone segments such as an attack, body and release portions and a style of rendition corresponding to a link or joint segment between adjoining tones such as a slur or a style of rendition corresponding to a specially performed tone segment such as a vibrato or a style of rendition corresponding to a plurality of notes constituting a phrase. Given style-of-rendition stream is supplied in accordance with a performance to be reproduced. Vector data to be generated for producing waveforms for the individual styles of rendition correspond, for example, to various fundamental waveform factors for producing the waveform. Examples of the fundamental waveform factors include a waveform shape (that determines a tone color or timbre), pitch variation over time and amplitude variation over time, and vector data of these waveform factors are called a waveform shape vector, pitch vector and amplitude vector, respectively. Time vector representing a progression of the time axis of the waveform may also be used. The respective time axes of the waveform shape vector, pitch vector, amplitude vector, etc. can be controlled in accordance with the time vector.
Waveform or envelope segments corresponding to the various waveform factors can be built along the reproducing time axis of the performance tones by arranging the individual vector data on the time axis. Thus, a waveform of each of the performance tones is produced on the basis of the individual vector data arranged on the time axis. There can be produced performance tone waveforms corresponding to the styles of rendition described by the style-of-rendition stream, for example, by imparting, to the waveform shape vector, a pitch and time variation characteristics of the pitch corresponding to the pitch vector and amplitude and time variation characteristics of the amplitude corresponding to the amplitude vector.
The above-mentioned step of generating vector data may include a step of reading out, from a predetermined database, vector data corresponding to the styles of rendition. The above-mentioned step of generating vector data may further include a step of modifying the vector data read out from the predetermined database.
Namely, because the vector data prestored in the data base can be selectively read out and modified as desired, the present invention allows style-of-rendition waveforms rich in variations to be produced with a simplified structure and enhanced controllability.
The present invention also provides a waveform producing method which comprises the steps of: receiving style-of-rendition stream data including waveform shape stream data indicative of waveform shapes of a plurality of styles of rendition constituting a series of performance tones and amplitude stream data indicative of amplitude variations over time for the plurality of styles of rendition; generating waveform shape vector data indicative of waveform shapes for the styles of rendition, on the basis of the received waveform shape stream data; generating amplitude vector data indicative of amplit
Morrison & Foerster / LLP
Witkowski Stanley J.
Yamaha Corporation
LandOfFree
Method and apparatus for producing a waveform based on... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method and apparatus for producing a waveform based on..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method and apparatus for producing a waveform based on... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2821371