Music – Instruments – Electrical musical tone generation
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-24
2002-03-05
Witkowski, Stanley J. (Department: 2837)
Music
Instruments
Electrical musical tone generation
C084S604000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06353171
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to tone data generating techniques, and more particularly to a method and device which are suitable for causing a general-purpose arithmetic processor, such as a CPU, to execute tone generating processing.
In many electronic musical instruments today, microprocessors are used to execute tone generating processing. In some cases, the microprocessors even execute processing to impart effects to tone data formed through the tone generating processing. It has long been a common practice, in the art, to implement such microprocessors by dedicated hardware (for example, tone generator LSI or DSP) having a circuit structure depending on a particular tone generating method employed (for example, waveform memory or FM synthesis method).
However, thanks to the recent improvement of CPU's computing capability, electronic musical instruments have appeared where the CPU loaded in a general-purpose computer or dedicated tone generating device is programmed to execute necessary tone generating processing. Here, such a tone generating device or method will be called a “software tone generator”, while the traditional tone generating device or method will be called a “hardware tone generator”.
In the software tone generator, the CPU must concurrently execute the tone generating processing and various other processing. Thus, in cases where a general-purpose computer is used to implement the software tone generator, it is desirable to carry out the tone generating processing on an operating system having a multitask function (e.g., Windows 95 (trademark) of Microsoft Corporation) in order to assure that the tone generating processing is executed without being influenced by the other processing.
But, in fact, operating systems having no multitask function (e.g., Windows 3.1 (trademark) of Microsoft Corporation) are widely used today, and there is a great need for the tone generating processing to be executed on such operating systems. With these operating systems, the execution of the tone generating processing tends to be often delayed by an influence of the other processing, which could result in a significant hindrance to the tone generation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a tone generating device and method based on a software tone generator which effectively prevent a hindrance to tone generation even when tone generating processing is executed on an operating system having no full multitask function.
In order to accomplish the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a tone generating device which comprises: a supply section for supplying performance information; an activating section for activating tone generating processing based on the performance information a plurality of times within a predetermined time period; a tone generating section for executing the tone generating processing activated by the activating section; and a control section for controlling the tone generating processing executed by the tone generating section, in such a manner that a predetermined number of samples of tone data can be belatedly formed within the predetermined time period by tone data forming operations being effected only when the tone generating processing is actually activated by the activating section.
In addition, the present invention provides a tone generating method for causing general-purpose arithmetic processing section to execute tone generating processing on the basis of supplied performance information, which comprises: a first step of activating the tone generating processing a plurality of times within a predetermined time period; a second step of performing control over the tone generating processing in such a manner that a predetermined number of samples of tone data can be belatedly formed within the predetermined time period by tone data forming operations being effected only when the tone generating processing is actually activated by the first step; and a third step of executing the tone generating processing activated by the first step in accordance with the control by the second step.
Software tone generators are known which are designed to form a predetermined number of samples of tone data every predetermined time period and later reproduce all the formed tone data together. Generally, in such a software tone generator, tone generating processing is activated only once (at only one activating time) in each predetermined time period to form the predetermined number of samples of tone data for the time period. However, where an operating system of the software tone generator does not have a full multitask function, the tone generating processing may fail to be activated at the activating time or tends to be activated behind the activating time due to an influence of other processing. Thus, operations to form the predetermined number of samples of tone data can sometimes not be completed within the predetermined time period, which would cause a significant hindrance to the necessary tone generation.
According to the tone generating device and method of the present invention arranged in the above-mentioned manner, however, the tone generating processing is activated a plurality of times (i.e., at a plurality of activating times) within each predetermined time period. Thus, even when the tone generating processing fails to be activated at some of the activating times, the predetermined number of samples of tone data can be formed in a suitable manner within the predetermined time period, by the tone data forming operations being effected belatedly only at the other activating times when the tone generating processing is actually activated. This arrangement reliably prevents a hindrance to the tone generation.
If the tone generating processing fails to be activated at many of the activating times, there may arise a situation where the predetermined number of samples of tone data can not be formed, just by the tone data forming operations effected only when the tone generating processing is actually activated, for every tone generating channel assigned to the tone generating processing. In such a case, the number of the tone generating channels to be used for forming the tone data is reduced so as to secure formation of the predetermined number of samples of tone data.
The present invention also provides a tone generating device which comprises a supply section for supplying performance information; a first register for, when tone generating processing based on the performance information is assigned to an unused tone generating channel, storing therein a parameter for controlling the tone generating processing; a second register for, when new tone generating processing based on other performance information is assigned to the tone generating channel while the channel is not available for the new tone generating processing, storing therein a parameter for controlling the new tone generating processing; a selecting section for selecting the first register before a predetermined time point to start the new tone generating processing and selecting the second register after the predetermined time point; and a tone generating section for generating tone data in the tone generating channel by use of one of the first and second registers selected by the selecting section.
In addition, the present invention provides a tone generating method for causing general-purpose arithmetic processing section to execute tone generating processing on the basis of supplied performance information, which comprises a first step of assigning tone generating processing to an unused tone generating channel and storing a parameter for controlling the tone generating processing into a first register; a second step of, when new tone generating processing is assigned to the tone generating channel while the channel is not available for the new tone generating processing, storing a parameter for controlling the new tone generating processing into a second register; a third st
Morrison & Foerster / LLP
Witkowski Stanley J.
Yamaha Corporation
LandOfFree
Tone generating method and device does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Tone generating method and device, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Tone generating method and device will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2870374