System for electronically emulating musical instrument

Details System for electronically emulating musical instrument System for electronically emulating musical instrument

2001-07-10

2002-12-17

Donels, Jeffrey (Department: 2837)

Music

Instruments

Electrical musical tone generation

81

Reexamination Certificate

active

06495748

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a multimedia instrument simulation device and methods, in particular to a multimedia instrument playing sound effect simulation output device and methods used in conjunction with a computer.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Multimedia computers are widely used for processing and outputting of multimedia images and sound effects. In particular, the rapid development of the music simulation software and program technology used in multimedia computers has enabled functionality not limited to the processing and control of sound effects. For instance, music or sound effects production programs provide simulated instrument composition or input functions for such instruments as guitar, piano, and drums. Nevertheless, when the simulated playing of multimedia instruments is performed, a computer keyboard must serve as the chief input to the simulation device. This is to say that, among the instrument playing components, the operation of the guitar strings, piano keys and drumhead must be simulated by pressing the alphanumeric keys of the computer keyboard. In addition, the volume and tone can be adjusted only by pressing various function keys. This approach makes operation complex and inconvenient. Besides making operation difficult, because it cannot give users the feeling of actually playing an instrument, the approach tends to result in poor performance.
The main objective of the invention is to provide a multimedia instrument simulation device and method which generates electrical signals corresponding to the level of the instrument play in order to enable a PC to produce lifelike simulated playing effects with accurate sound length, tone, and volume.
A further objective of the invention is to provide a multimedia instrument simulation device and methods, so that the playing of instruments and simulation operation do not require the simultaneous use of any keyboard keys. Playing will thus be as convenient as the playing of ordinary instruments.
Another objective of the invention is to provide a multimedia instrument simulation device and methods which can deliver realistic effects by retrieving with complete accuracy the analog signals corresponding to the force with which the player plays the instrument and the sound length, tone, and volume controlled by the player, and outputting in real-time sound effects with identical sound length, tone, and volume following conversion and processing.
Therefore, the invention is connected to a multimedia keyboard or computer, and contains several playing elements that simulate the playing of instruments. In conjunction with one signal acquisition element, the playing elements perform individually perform plucking, pressing, or striking actions, while retrieving the corresponding linearly varying analog signal. After conversion and processing in one signal pickup circuit, the signals are directly transmitted to a multimedia keyboard or sent to a PC for further simulation and processing via an interface circuit. After comparing the instrument playing digital data retrieved and converted by the aforementioned simulation device with the standard sound length, tone, and volume of the same instruments stored in a PC, the identical sound length, tone, and volume instrument playing sound effects data is outputted to playing equipment for playing. This process provides real-time simulated output of sound effects identical to the actual sound length, tone, and volume of playing elements, achieving the goal of giving a highly lifelike sensory effects.


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