JP2011191637A - Electronic keyboard instrument - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic keyboard instrument which has simplified structure and is made compact by allowing a sensor to be used for MIDI generation and also for haptic sense control. <P>SOLUTION: An actuator 40 of a bi-directional driving type and of an electromagnetic system, includes a moving object 46 which is vertically movable. The moving object 46 is connected to a key 20 and is, always movable in conjunction with the key 20. A position sensor 47 is arranged between a forward moving coil 41a and a backward moving coil 41b in the actuator 40. When the moving object 46 is energized by a driving current supplied to the coils 41a and 41b, force is given to the key 20 in a key pushing direction or a key releasing direction, to generate haptic sense to key pushing/releasing operation. A CPU generates and outputs a MIDI signal based on a detection signal which is output by the position sensor 47, and controls haptic force of each key 20 by controlling operation of the moving object 46 of the actuator 40 based on the above detection signal. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic keyboard instrument that generates a force sense by driving a key with a movable body.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an electronic keyboard instrument that detects a key pressing operation with a sensor and generates a MIDI signal or generates a tone based on a detection signal of the sensor is known. In this type of musical instrument, there are sensors that detect the movement of the key, but there are sensors that detect the movement of the mass body when a mass body that applies inertial force to the key is provided.

  There is also known a keyboard instrument including a force generation unit for giving a force sense to a key operation. For example, the musical instrument disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a sensor that detects a key position, a speed, and the like, and a force generation unit that applies a key pressing reaction force to the key. The force sense generator includes a solenoid coil and a plunger. Then, while detecting the position and speed of the key with the sensor, the current value supplied to the solenoid coil is controlled based on the detected values, so that an appropriate reaction force is generated.

JP 2009-229640 A

  However, when considering a keyboard instrument that includes a force generation unit as shown in Patent Document 1 and generates a MIDI signal or generates a musical tone based on a key pressing operation, it is used for force control and MIDI generation. Sensors must be provided separately for (for musical tone generation). Therefore, there is a problem that the configuration is complicated and it is contrary to the demand for a compact instrument.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems of the prior art, and its purpose is to simplify the configuration and make the instrument compact by sharing sensors for MIDI generation and force sense control. It is to provide an electronic keyboard instrument that can be used.

  In order to achieve the above object, an electronic keyboard instrument according to claim 1 of the present invention includes a plurality of keys (20) each operated to be pushed and released, and connected to the corresponding keys provided corresponding to the keys. A movable body (46) that is movable in conjunction with a key at all times, and the movable body drives the corresponding key to generate a force sense for at least a key pressing operation of the corresponding key; A plurality of sensors (40) and a plurality of sensors (corresponding to each of the movable bodies) that detect the operation of the motion system including the corresponding movable body and the corresponding key and output as detection signals. 47), a MIDI generating means (51) for generating a MIDI signal based on the detection signals output from the sensors, and a movable body of the force generation unit based on the detection signals output from the sensors. By controlling the movement of each key And having a control to force control means (51). The operating system includes components that operate integrally with the movable body or key.

  Preferably, the force sense control means operates the movable body so that a force in either a key pressing direction or a key releasing direction is selectively applied to each key based on the detection signal. (Claim 2).

  In order to achieve the above object, an electronic keyboard instrument according to a third aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of keys each operated to be pushed and separated, and a plurality of force generation units (40) each having a movable body corresponding to each key. A plurality of mass bodies (corresponding to each key, which urges the corresponding key in the key release direction in a non-key-pressed state and applies inertial force to the key pressing operation of the corresponding key ( 30), a plurality of sensors (47) provided corresponding to the respective movable bodies, detecting the operation of the corresponding movable bodies and outputting them as detection signals, and detection signals output by the respective sensors. The force generation of each key is controlled by controlling the operation of the movable body of each force sense generating unit based on the detection signal output by the MIDI generation means (51) for generating the MIDI signal and each sensor. Haptic control means (51) and each haptic generating unit The moving body is provided so as to be interposed between the corresponding key and the mass body, and by driving the corresponding key, the key is operated to press and release the corresponding key in cooperation with the inertial force of the corresponding mass body. It is characterized by generating a force sensation with respect to.

  Preferably, the movable body of each of the force generation units is connected to a corresponding key and is provided so as to move in conjunction with the key at all times (claim 4).

  In order to achieve the above object, an electronic keyboard instrument according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is provided with a plurality of keys (20) each operated to be pushed and released, and corresponding to each key. And a plurality of movable bodies (46) that generate a force sense for at least a key pressing operation of the corresponding key, and provided corresponding to each of the movable bodies. A plurality of sensors (47) that detect and output as detection signals, MIDI generation means (51) that generates MIDI signals based on the detection signals output from the sensors, and detection signals output from the sensors Force control means (51) for controlling the force sense of each key by controlling the operation of each movable body on the basis of the plurality of movable bodies, the plurality of sensors, and the MIDI generation means. And the force sense control means comprises force sense Characterized in that it is formed integrally as a raw unit (FS).

  Preferably, the force generation unit includes a first solenoid coil (41a) for operating each movable body so that a force in a key pressing direction is applied to each key, and a key release to each key. A second solenoid coil (41b) for operating each movable body so that a force in a direction is applied, corresponding to each movable body, and each sensor includes a corresponding first solenoid. The coil is disposed between the coil and the second solenoid coil.

  Preferably, a plurality of masses provided corresponding to the respective keys, for urging the corresponding key in the key release direction in a non-key-pressed state, and for applying an inertial force to the key pressing operation of the corresponding key. Each movable body is provided so as to be interposed between the corresponding key and the mass body, and cooperates with the inertial force of the corresponding mass body by driving the corresponding key. Thus, a force sensation is generated for the key pressing operation of the corresponding key.

  In addition, the code | symbol in the said parenthesis is an illustration.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the sensor can be made common for the MIDI generation and the force sense control, the configuration can be simplified, and the instrument can be made compact.

  According to the second aspect, it is possible to generate a force sense not only for pressing a key but also for a key release operation.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, the sensor can be made common for the MIDI generation and the force sense control, the configuration can be simplified, and the instrument can be made compact. Further, it becomes easy to bring the touch feeling closer to that of a natural keyboard instrument.

  According to the fourth aspect, it is possible to more accurately detect the mute operation.

  According to claim 5 of the present invention, the sensor can be made common for the MIDI generation and the force sense control, the configuration can be simplified, and the instrument can be made compact. Further, the force sense generating mechanism can be easily assembled.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, space can be saved and the sensor can be arranged compactly.

  According to the seventh aspect, even in a keyboard instrument having a mass body, the assembly of the force generation unit can be facilitated. Further, it becomes easy to bring the touch feeling closer to that of a natural keyboard instrument.

It is a block diagram which shows the whole structure of the electronic keyboard musical instrument which concerns on one embodiment of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the keyboard part of this musical instrument. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of one actuator of a force sense generation unit. It is a schematic diagram which shows the force sense control mechanism of a key. It is a flowchart of a force sense control process. It is a flowchart of the continuous hit process and staccato process performed by step S114 of FIG. 5, and S117.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of an electronic keyboard instrument according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  In this keyboard instrument, the keyboard unit 10, the display unit 62, the ROM 52, the RAM 53, the operation unit 61, the storage device 63, the actuator 40, the communication I / F (interface) 56, the tone generator circuit 67 and the effect circuit 68 are connected via the bus 60. Are respectively connected to the CPU 51.

  Further, a timer 55 is connected to the CPU 51. The CPU 51, ROM 52, RAM 53, and timer 55 constitute the main control unit 50. A sound system 69 is connected to the effect circuit 68. The keyboard unit 10 and the operation unit 61 are actually connected to the bus 60 via detection circuits. The operation unit 61 includes a setting operator. The communication I / F 56 includes a MIDI-I / F that communicates with a MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) device, and a wireless and / or wired I / F for connecting to a communication network such as a LAN.

  The CPU 51 controls the entire musical instrument. In addition to performance data, the ROM 52 stores a control program executed by the CPU 51, various table data, and the like. The ROM 52 also stores a force sense application table 80 (see FIG. 4) described later. The RAM 53 temporarily stores various flags, buffer data, calculation results, and the like. The timer 55 measures various times such as an interrupt time in the timer interrupt process. The storage device 63 stores various music data, various data, and the like.

  The tone generator circuit 67 converts the performance data into a musical sound signal. The effect circuit 68 imparts various effects to the musical sound signal input from the sound source circuit 67, and the sound system 69 converts the musical sound signal or the like input from the effect circuit 68 into sound. The actuator 40 includes a position sensor 47. The actuator 40 is an electromagnetic type, and its detailed configuration will be described later.

  FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the keyboard portion 10 of the musical instrument. The keyboard unit 10 includes a plurality of keys 20 that are black keys and white keys that are pressed and released. In FIG. 2, the key 20 that is one white key and its peripheral components are shown. It has not been. The components related to the black key have the same configuration as that related to the white key.

  The musical instrument includes a plurality of keys 20 and mass bodies 30 that are rotatably arranged on a flat frame 11 and actuators 40 (see FIG. 5) that are arranged between the keys 20 and the mass bodies 30. 1) and the like. In the following deblurring, the player side (the right side in FIG. 2) is the front side in the longitudinal direction of the key 20 (the left-right direction in FIG. 2). In addition, the horizontal direction and the vertical direction are based on the direction seen from the performer.

  The key 20 is rotatably supported on the frame 11 by a key fulcrum member 12. The key fulcrum member 12 is provided with a fulcrum pin 12b erected on a balance rail 12a extending along the arrangement direction of the key 20 on the frame 11, and the key 20 is supported by the fulcrum pin 12b. The key 20 has a front end 20a and a rear end 20b that can be rotated in the vertical direction about the fulcrum pin 12b, and is rotated in response to a key pressing operation to the key pressing portion 20c by the performer. Further, a front pin 13 is erected below the front end 20 a of the key 20. The front pin 13 has an upper end inserted into the back side of the key 20 and restricts lateral deflection of the front end 20a of the rotating key 20.

  A key upper limit stopper 21 is installed below the rear end 20b of the key 20, and a key lower limit stopper 22 is installed below the front end 20a. Each of the key upper limit stopper 21 and the key lower limit stopper 22 includes a striking material such as felt fixed to the upper surface of the frame 11. The key upper limit stopper 21 contacts the lower surface of the rear end 20b of the key 20 at the non-key-pressing position, and restricts the rotation of the key 20 at the non-key-pressing position. On the other hand, the key lower limit stopper 22 contacts the lower surface of the front end 20a of the key 20 at the key pressing end position, and restricts the rotation of the key 20 at the key pressing end position (two-dot chain line).

  A support portion 14 is provided on the frame 11 behind the key fulcrum member 12. The support portion 14 includes a front wall 14a and a rear wall 14b that are disposed forward and backward at a predetermined interval. Both the front wall 14 a and the rear wall 14 b are vertically erected, projecting from between adjacent keys 20 on the frame 11 to directly above each key 20, and extending to a position higher than the key 20.

  A mass body fulcrum 31 is provided at the upper end of the front wall 14 a of the support portion 14. The mass body 30 includes a straight bar-shaped shank portion 32 extending rearward from the mass body fulcrum 31 and a mass portion 33 having a predetermined mass attached to the tip of the shank portion 32. The shank portion 32 is rotatably supported by the mass body fulcrum 31, and the mass body 30 is configured to rotate up and down in a vertical plane along the longitudinal direction of the key 20 around the mass body fulcrum 31.

  A mass body upper limit stopper 34 and a mass body lower limit stopper 35 for restricting the rotation of the mass body 30 are provided on the rear wall 14 b of the support portion 14. The mass body upper limit stopper 34 and the mass body lower limit stopper 35 regulate the upper limit position (illustrated by a two-dot chain line) and the lower limit position of the mass body 30 when the shank portion 32 of the mass body 30 abuts. As the rotation direction of the mass body 30, the rotation stroke from the lower limit position to the upper limit position is basically the rotation stroke in the key pressing direction of the key 20 (stroke from the non-key pressing position to the key pressing end position). Corresponding to

  The mass body 30 is interlocked with the rotation operation of the key 20 via a movable body 46 described later. The mass body 30 applies an inertial force to the key 20 through the movable body 46 by its own weight. On the other hand, the actuator 40 applies a reaction force or assist force to the performance operation to the key 20 by electromagnetic driving of the movable body 46. Accordingly, the cooperation between the mass body 30 and the actuator 40 gives the key 20 a sense of force for the performance operation.

  A projecting portion 25 projects from the upper surface of the key 20 on the rear side of the key fulcrum member 12. A roller 36 is provided in the shank portion 32 of the mass body 30. Each actuator 40 is installed so as to be interposed between the corresponding projecting portion 25 and the roller 36.

  One plate 70 is fixed to the front surface of the lower half of the rear wall 14 b of the support portion 14, and one substrate 71 is disposed on the front surface of the plate 70. The plurality of actuators 40 corresponding to each key 20, the plate 70, and the substrate 71 are integrally formed as a unit. This is referred to as “force sense generating unit FS”. In addition to the main control unit 50, the sound source circuit 67, and the effect circuit 68 shown in FIG. 1, the solenoid control unit 58 (see FIG. 4) and the like are disposed on the substrate 71 as electronic components.

  FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of one actuator 40 of the force sense generating unit FS. Since the structure of each actuator 40 is the same, one structure is demonstrated. The actuator 40 is a bidirectional drive type actuator, and includes a movable body 46 that is movable up and down. The movable body 46 is configured integrally with the plunger 42 and the base member 44. The plunger 42 includes a barrel portion 42a made of a columnar ferromagnetic body, and a first rod 42b and a second rod 42c respectively connected to the upper end and the lower end of the barrel portion 42a. Is in a straight line.

  A base member 44 is connected and fixed to the upper end of the first rod 42 b of the plunger 42. The axial direction of the roller 36 is horizontal along the arrangement direction of the keys 20, and the lower surface of the roller 36 is in contact with the upper surface of the base member 44. The roller 36 may be separated from the base member 44 as when the mass body 30 is released from the movable body 46 by the strong key and is freely rotated. At least in the non-key-pressed state, the corresponding key 20 is biased in the key release direction via the movable body 46 by the weight of the mass body 30.

  A pin 75 along the arrangement direction of the keys 20 is fixedly provided at the lower end of the second rod 42c. On the other hand, a long hole 25a is formed in the projecting portion 25 on the upper surface of the key 20 so that the pin 75 can slide in the front-rear direction. The pin 75 is engaged with the elongated hole 25a with a minimum of vertical play. As a result, the relative difference in the position in the front-rear direction that occurs when the movable body 46 and the key 20 operate in conjunction with each other is absorbed, and the two always maintain a connected state smoothly.

  Around the bobbin 48 disposed on the outer periphery of the body portion 42a, two solenoid coils composed of a forward coil 41a and a backward coil 41b are wound in a coaxial manner vertically. On the outer periphery of the forward coil 41a and the backward coil 41b, yokes 40a and 40b are disposed so as to surround them. A cylindrical guide portion 43 is fixed to the upper portion 40aa of the yoke 40a which is the body portion of the actuator 40, and the base member 44 can slide up and down in the guide portion 43.

  The plate 70 has a length almost covering the entire width of the keyboard, and claw portions 70a are formed in several places at the bottom. At the lower part of the front surface of the rear wall 14b of the support part 14, an engaging part 14ba which is a concave part corresponding to the claw part 70a is formed. The plate 70 is fixed to the support portion 14 by screwing the upper portion of the plate 70 to the upper portion of the rear wall 14b with a plurality of screws 72 in a state where each claw portion 70a is engaged with the engaging portion 14ba. Yes.

  In addition to the main control unit 50, the sound source circuit 67, and the effect circuit 68 described above, the other electronic components 73 and the position sensor 47 are also disposed on the substrate 71. The yokes 40 a and 40 b are fixed to the plate 70 at appropriate positions by mounting pieces 74 that penetrate the substrate 71. The position sensor 47 is disposed on the front surface side of the substrate 71 and is disposed between the yokes 40a and 40b and between the forward coil 41a and the backward coil 41b in the vertical direction.

  The position sensor 47 is in close proximity to the outer peripheral surface of the body 42 a of the plunger 42. A gray scale (not shown) is applied to the surface of the body portion 42a facing the position sensor 47, and becomes a reflection surface that reflects light. The position sensor 47 is a reflection type optical sensor, for example, and has a light emitting part and a light receiving part. The light emitted from the light emitting part is reflected by the reflecting surface of the body part 42a, received by the light receiving part, and a detection signal corresponding to the amount of received light is output. On the reflecting surface, the amount of reflected light at each position in the vertical direction changes continuously due to the gray scale. Therefore, the position of the body portion 42a and eventually the movable body 46 is uniquely specified by the output from the position sensor 47. Can do.

  From the output of the position sensor 47, not only the position but also the speed information can be obtained. This may be detected by the CPU 51 from the time interval crossing between two predetermined points, but may be obtained by differentiating the value indicating the position. Here, since the second rod 42c and the projecting portion 25 are always connected, the position and speed of the movable body 46 can be grasped because the position and speed of the corresponding key 20 in the key release / release direction can be grasped. It also becomes.

  The actuator 40 is configured such that when a driving current is supplied to the forward coil 41a and the backward coil 41b, a driving force is applied to the body 42a, and the movable body 46 is driven up and down. When a drive current is supplied to the return coil 41b, the movable body 46 is urged downward. As a result, a downward load is applied to the rear portion of the key 20 from the key fulcrum member 12 via the protruding portion 25, and the load in the key release direction increases. This load is a reaction force for the key pressing operation and an assisting force for the key release operation. On the other hand, when a drive current is supplied to the forward coil 41a, the movable body 46 is biased upward. Thereby, an upward load is applied to the mass body 30 and the rear portion of the key 20 via the protruding portion 25 with respect to the key fulcrum member 12, and the load in the key pressing direction increases. This load is an assisting force for the key pressing operation and a reaction force for the key releasing operation.

  In the present embodiment, a driving current is selectively supplied to either the forward coil 41a or the backward coil 41b, and a reaction force or assisting force against the key pressing / releasing operation is applied to the key 20. The force sense of the key 20 is determined by a load obtained by adding the urging force and the load in the key release direction received from the mass body 30.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a force control mechanism of the key 20. The force sense control mechanism includes a main control unit 50 and a solenoid control unit 58 including a switching circuit. The solenoid control unit 58 outputs a PWM (pulse width modulation) signal, which is a drive current, to the forward coil 41a and the backward coil 41b of the actuator 40 in accordance with a command from the main control unit 50. A force sense application table 80 is stored in the ROM 52 of the main control unit 50.

  The force sense imparting table 80 is a table that stores a driving force pattern to be generated by each actuator 40 and an instruction value for generating the driving force. As the haptic application table 80, a key pressing and a key releasing are prepared. Roughly, the force sense imparting table 80 is set so that the optimal force sense is generated by the driving force of the actuator 40 and the inertial force from the mass body 30 in view of each position of the key 20 and the moving speed at that position. Has been. The acceleration may be taken into consideration. For example, it is designed to approximate as much as possible the force sensed by the keys of a natural keyboard instrument, but the application range is not limited to this.

  The values of the drive currents supplied to the coils 41a and 41b are determined with reference to the force sense application table 80 (see FIG. 4) based on the output (position and speed information) of the position sensor 47. A detection signal that is an output of the position sensor 47 is output to the main control unit 50. The main control unit 50 outputs a control signal to the solenoid control unit 58 with reference to the force sense application table 80 based on the detection signal. The solenoid controller 58 supplies a drive current to the forward coil 41a or the backward coil 41b of the actuator 40 based on the control signal from the main controller 50 (step S113 in FIG. 5).

  This drive current is a current generated by a PWM signal in which the ground (G) and the predetermined voltage (+) are alternately switched so that an arbitrary driving force can be generated by changing and controlling the duty ratio. It has become.

  By the way, this musical instrument can perform an automatic performance based on performance data stored in the ROM 52 or input from the outside. The CPU 51 can also control to generate and output a MIDI signal based on the detection signal output from the position sensor 47. For example, in real-time performance, the output of the position sensor 47 is handled in the same way as the output of a sensor that detects a key operation in a conventional keyboard instrument, and a musical tone is generated based on the output. Therefore, this musical instrument does not have a dedicated motion sensor for the key 20 for generating a MIDI signal or generating a musical sound, but shares a force sensor position sensor 47 for generating a MIDI signal.

  Next, the force sense control process will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the force sense control process. This process is repeatedly executed by the CPU 51 after the instrument is turned on. A main process is executed separately from the main process. In this main process, an initialization process, a device setting process, a performance process, and other processes are executed. Regarding the processing in FIG. 5, determination and processing are performed in parallel for each key 20 by, for example, time division processing.

  First, information on the current position and speed of the movable body 46 is acquired from the output of the position sensor 47 (step S101). Since the speed information is accompanied by positive and negative signs, the moving direction of the movable body 46 is also grasped. Since the movable body 46 and the key 20 are an operation system that operates integrally, hereinafter, the position and speed of this operation system will be representatively expressed as “position and speed of the key 20”.

  Next, in step S114, a continuous hitting process shown in FIG. Next, it is determined from the acquired position and speed whether or not the key 20 has crossed the sound generation position in the key pressing direction (step S102). Here, the “sound generation position” is a stroke position having a predetermined depth from the key pressing direction, and the “sound stop position” described later is a stroke position shallower than the sound generation position.

  In addition, an “initial speed detection position” for detecting an initial speed and a “continuous hit position” for detecting continuous hits will be described later. The initial speed detection positions are, for example, two positions of 1 mm and 3 mm from the non-key pressed position. To summarize the relationship between these stroke positions, the sound stop position, the position on the shallow side of the initial speed detection position, the position on the deep side of the initial speed detection position, the continuous hit position, and the sound generation position are arranged in order from the shallow side.

  If the result of determination in step S102 is that the key 20 has crossed the sound generation position in the key pressing direction, it is determined whether or not the flag PREON is set to “1” (step S115), and is set to “1”. If YES in step S116, the flag PREON is set to "1" if not set to "1" (step S103), and the process advances to step S104. Step S116 will be described later. In step S104, it is determined whether or not the state of crossing the sound generation position has continued for a predetermined time T (for example, 20 ms) this time. This determination can be “YES” only once every time the sound generation position is crossed in the key-pressing direction.

  As a result of the determination, if “NO” is determined, a staccato process shown in FIG. 6B described later is executed (step S117), the process proceeds to step S113, and the most recently acquired position and speed information is displayed. Based on the haptic control. That is, by referring to the force sense application table 80 and outputting a control signal to the solenoid control unit 58 (FIG. 4), an appropriate drive current is supplied to the forward coil 41a or the backward coil 41b of the actuator 40. On the other hand, if “YES” is determined, the process proceeds to step S105.

  In step S105, a note-on event in the MIDI signal is generated. In this note-on event, an on-velocity is set according to the note number corresponding to the key 20 that has been pressed and the speed at which the sounding position is crossed. Then, in the MIDI output process in step S106, the generated note-on event is output as a MIDI signal, and the process proceeds to step S117.

  Here, the contents of the MIDI output processing in step S106 and step S111 described later differ depending on the set mode. The mode is set in the device setting process of the main process described above. The modes include “real time performance mode”, “automatic performance mode”, “external output mode” and the like.

  First, in the real-time performance mode, a musical sound signal is generated in the performance process of the main process based on the generated / output MIDI signal. Then, the tone generator circuit 67, the effect circuit 68, and the sound system 69 (FIG. 1) add the set effect process to the musical sound signal and amplify and output (sound).

  In the automatic performance mode, performance data is read in the performance process of the main process, and a musical sound signal generated in response to the performance data is generated in the same manner as described above. At that time, if there is an event output in the MIDI output process, both musical sounds may be mixed and sounded.

  In the external output mode, a MIDI signal is output to an external device through the MIDI-I / F of the communication I / F 56. In either mode, the generated MIDI signal can be stored and saved in the storage device 63 as desired by the user.

  As a result of the determination in step S102, if it is not determined from the acquired position and speed information that the key 20 has crossed the sound generation position in the key pressing direction, it is determined whether or not the key 20 has crossed the sound stopping position in the key releasing direction. It discriminate | determines (step S107). As a result of the determination, if the key 20 does not cross the stop position in the key release direction, it is determined whether or not PREON = 1 (step S108). If PREON = 1, a position deeper than the sound generation position is determined. Since the key pressing state is being continued, the process proceeds to step S104. On the other hand, if PREON = 0, the key 20 is at a position shallower than the sound stop position, and the process proceeds to step S117.

  For example, considering the initial state of the key press, the process transits from step S102 → S107 → S108 → S117 → S113, and therefore, a process of supplying a drive current to the actuator 40 based on the force sense imparting table 80 without generating a sound is performed. Made. Such a state where force sense control is performed without sounding is continued until “YES” is determined in step S104.

  As a result of the determination in step S107, if the key 20 crosses the sound-stop position in the key release direction, is a note-on event of the note number corresponding to the key 20 that has been released from the key released? It is determined whether or not (step S109). If it is determined that the note-on event of the note number is not output, the process proceeds to step S112. If it is output, the process proceeds to step S112 after executing steps S110 and S111. The state in which the note-on event of the note number is output is, for example, in the real-time performance mode, sound generation is being continued. .

  In step S110, a note-off event in the MIDI signal is generated. In this note-off event, the note number corresponding to the key 20 that has been released and the off-velocity corresponding to the speed when crossing the sound-stop position are set. Then, the generated note-off event is output as a MIDI signal in the MIDI output process in step S111. In step S112, the flag PREON and the flag SEQ are each set to “0”, and the process proceeds to step S117.

  By the way, after the sound is generated, there is a case where the key 20 is not returned to the stop position but is returned halfway and the key is pressed again. In order to ensure that sound is produced even in such a case, the processing of FIG. 6A is provided. Further, since the key 20 and the mass body 30 can be separated and rotated, when the key is released after a strong key is pressed with a shallow stroke, the key 20 itself is at the key pressing end position. However, there is a case where the mass body 30 is freely rotated by the initial key pressing force. In a keyboard instrument in which a string actually exists, such a key-pressing manner is struck and pronounced. However, in this embodiment, if it is an essential requirement for sound generation to cross the above sound generation position, sound generation is not performed. Therefore, the processing of FIG. 6B is provided so that sound is generated even in such a case.

  FIG. 6A is a flowchart of the continuous hitting process executed in step S114 of FIG. First, when the consecutive hit position crosses the key pressing direction / key release direction, the consecutive hit position on event / off event is stocked (stored) in the RAM 53 in order (step S601). Next, it is determined whether or not the flag PREON = 1 and the last stocked event is in the order of consecutive hit position off event → sequential hit position on event (step S602). That is, in the state of PREON = 1, it is determined whether or not the continuous hitting position has once crossed in the backward direction and then crossed in the forward direction again.

  As a result of the determination, if “YES”, the flag SEQ is set to “1” in step S603, while if “NO”, the flag SEQ is set to “0” in step S604. Thereafter, this process is terminated, and the process proceeds to step S102.

  In step S116 in FIG. 5, it is determined whether or not the flag SEQ = 1 and the state where the sound generation position is crossed this time lasts for a predetermined time T. As a result of the determination, if “YES”, the step S105 and subsequent steps are executed. As a result, repeated striking sounds with deep strokes are made. That is, in the state of PREON = 1, once the continuous hitting position is crossed in the backward direction and then crossed in the forward direction again, when the state continues for a predetermined time T across the sounding position, re-sounding is performed. On the other hand, if the result of determination in step S116 is “NO”, the process proceeds to step S113 without performing sound generation processing.

  FIG. 6B is a flowchart of the staccato process executed in step S117 of FIG. First, the initial speed of the key 20 is acquired from the output of the position sensor 47 and stored in the RAM 53 (step S611). Here, the initial speed is detected from a time interval crossing between two points of the shallow side position and the deep side position of the initial speed detection position described above.

  Next, it is determined whether or not a predetermined time tST (for example, 30 ms) has elapsed since the initial speed is equal to or higher than the predetermined speed mp, and after the initial speed is acquired, “NO” continues to be determined in step S102. Step S612). The predetermined speed mp corresponds to a key pressing speed comparable to that of a mezzo piano. If “YES” as a result of the determination, the “speed conversion table” is referred to convert the initial speed into a normal speed (step S613).

  Here, in the “speed conversion table”, if a string is present and the key is depressed at the initial speed, the mass body 30 is freely rotated by the initial key depression force to strike the string. This is for converting the initial speed to the normal speed so that the strength is the same as the striking strength when the string is hit by the normal key depression. This is stored in the ROM 52 in advance. The predetermined time tST is set assuming a time interval until the mass body 30 strikes the string when the key is depressed at an initial speed equal to or higher than the predetermined speed mp.

  Next, in step S614, PREON is set to “1” and a note-on event in the MIDI signal is generated and output as a MIDI signal. As a result, sound generation by performance like a staccato can be made. In this note-on event, the note number corresponding to the key 20 from which the initial speed is detected and the on velocity corresponding to the converted normal speed are set. If “NO” in the step S612, and after the process of the step S614, the present process is terminated, and the process proceeds to the step S113.

  According to the processing of FIG. 5, a MIDI signal is generated according to the position and speed of the key 20 by the key pressing operation, and force sense control is performed.

  In addition, with the processing of FIG. 6A, a sound is produced even when the key is pressed again after returning to the repeated hitting position without returning from the key pressing end position to the stop sound. It becomes possible. Furthermore, by the processing of FIG. 6B, it is possible to enable sound generation by special performance such as staccato or syncopation, which is a shallow strong key that is not pressed until the sound generation position. In these cases, appropriate force control is performed according to the position and speed of the key 20.

  According to the present embodiment, the detection signal of the position sensor 47 is used for generation / output of a MIDI signal and operation control of the movable body 46 of the force generation unit FS. The sensor can be made common to simplify the configuration and make the instrument compact.

  Further, since the actuator 40 operates the movable body 46 so that a force in either the key pressing direction or the key releasing direction is selectively applied to each key 20, both the key pressing operation and the key releasing operation are performed. Force sensation can be generated.

  Further, since the actuator 40 generates a force sensation for the key pressing operation of the corresponding key 20 in cooperation with the inertial force of the mass body 30, it is easy to bring the touch feeling close to that of a natural keyboard instrument. Become.

  Further, since the key 20 and the movable body 46 are not simply abutted but are connected to each other and always move in conjunction with each other, the position detection of the key 20 when the key 20 is released (silence operation) is also performed by detecting the position of the movable body 46. It can be performed accurately and mute processing can be performed accurately.

  In addition, the actuator 40 that is a force sense generating unit including the movable body 46 and the position sensor 47 and the substrate 71 including the main control unit 50 are integrally configured as a force sense generating unit FS and thus unitized. It is easy to assemble the force generation mechanism. If a unit without a force generation unit is attached instead of the force generation unit FS, it becomes easy to produce a model without the force generation function that is the same as other components. Therefore, it becomes easy to share components (panel 20 etc.) other than the unit to be installed between different models having the presence or absence of the force sense addition function. If the effect of easy assembly of the force generation mechanism is not required, the main control unit 50 may be disposed at a location other than the force generation unit FS.

  Further, since the position sensor 47 is provided between the forward coil 41a and the backward coil 41b, the position sensor 47 can be disposed in a compact manner by effectively using a space.

  In the present embodiment, the actuator 40 is provided above the rear portion of the key 20, but may be provided below the front portion of the key 20. In that case, the mass body 30 may be disposed below the actuator 40. Since the key 20 and the movable body 46 are always connected, the actuator 40 can be configured to apply a pulling force to the key 20 in the key release direction. Accordingly, the actuator 40 and the mass body 30 can be disposed below the rear portion of the key 20.

  Note that the position sensor 47 is a reflective optical sensor, but is not limited thereto. What is necessary is just to be able to detect the position of the movable body 46, for example, an optical sensor having another configuration, or a sensor other than an optical sensor may be used.

  Since the movable body 46 is always connected to the key 20, the position sensor 47 is not limited to the use of a common sensor for MIDI signal generation and force control. For example, the position of the projecting portion 25 or the base member 44 may be detected. After all, the operation system includes components that operate integrally with the movable body 46 and the key 20.

  Further, since the movable body 46 is always connected to the key 20, even if the mass body 30 is eliminated and only the actuator 40 is used, if the contents of the force sense imparting table 80 are appropriately set, the key 20 is pressed and released. It is possible to generate force sense in both directions. In that case, the configuration is simple although the touch is retreated to bring it closer to that of a natural keyboard instrument.

  In addition, in order to simplify the configuration and the like, when it is not required to accurately perform force sense control and mute processing in the key release process, the constant connection between the movable body 46 and the key 20 is not essential, and the contact relationship is Also good. Even in such a case, since the mass body 30 urges the movable body 46 toward the key 20 by its own weight, the force sense control and the mute processing can be performed to a practical level even in the key release process. is there.

  If the actuator 40 is limited to the bidirectional drive type, two solenoid coils are not necessarily required, and one may be provided to switch the direction of the drive current. Further, the power for moving the movable body 46 up and down is not limited to the solenoid coil, and other mechanisms such as a motor may be used.

  20 keys, 40 actuator (force generating unit), 41a forward coil (first solenoid coil), 41b reverse coil (second solenoid coil), 46 movable body, 47 position sensor, 51 CPU (MIDI generating means, force) Sense control means), FS force sense generation unit

Claims (7)

A plurality of keys each operated to be pushed and released;
A movable body that is provided corresponding to each key and is linked to the corresponding key and movable in conjunction with the key at all times, and the movable body drives the corresponding key so that the corresponding key A plurality of force sensation generating units that generate force sensation for at least a key press operation;
A plurality of sensors that are provided corresponding to each of the movable bodies, detect the operation of an operation system including the corresponding movable body and a key corresponding thereto, and output as detection signals;
MIDI generating means for generating a MIDI signal based on the detection signal output by each sensor;
And a force sense control means for controlling the force sense of each key by controlling the operation of the movable body of each force sense generation unit based on the detection signal output by each sensor. Keyboard instrument.   The force sense control means operates the movable body so that a force in either a key pressing direction or a key releasing direction is selectively applied to each key based on the detection signal. The electronic keyboard instrument according to claim 1. A plurality of keys each operated to be pushed and released;
A plurality of force sense generators having movable bodies corresponding to the keys;
A plurality of mass bodies that are provided corresponding to the respective keys and urge the corresponding keys in the key release direction in a non-key-pressed state, and also apply an inertial force to the key pressing operation of the corresponding keys;
A plurality of sensors provided corresponding to the respective movable bodies, detecting operations of the corresponding movable bodies, and outputting them as detection signals;
MIDI generating means for generating a MIDI signal based on the detection signal output by each sensor;
Force sense control means for controlling the force sense of each key by controlling the operation of the movable body of each force sense generator based on the detection signal output by each sensor;
The movable body of each force sensation generating unit is provided so as to be interposed between the corresponding key and the mass body, and by driving the corresponding key, the movable body cooperates with the inertial force of the corresponding mass body. An electronic keyboard instrument characterized by generating a force sensation in response to a corresponding key press / release key operation.   4. The electronic keyboard instrument according to claim 3, wherein the movable bodies of the force generation units are respectively connected to the corresponding keys so as to be movable in conjunction with the keys at all times. A plurality of keys each operated to be pushed and released;
A plurality of movable bodies that are provided corresponding to the respective keys and that operate to drive the corresponding keys to generate a force sense for at least a key pressing operation of the corresponding keys;
A plurality of sensors provided corresponding to the respective movable bodies, detecting operations of the corresponding movable bodies, and outputting them as detection signals;
MIDI generating means for generating a MIDI signal based on the detection signal output by each sensor;
Force sense control means for controlling the force sense of each key by controlling the operation of each movable body based on the detection signal output by each sensor;
The electronic keyboard instrument, wherein the plurality of movable bodies, the plurality of sensors, the MIDI generation means, and the force sense control means are integrally configured as a force sense generation unit.   The force generation unit includes a first solenoid coil for operating each movable body so that a force in a key pressing direction is applied to each key, and a force in a key releasing direction is applied to each key. Corresponding to each movable body, and each sensor is arranged between the corresponding first solenoid coil and second solenoid coil. The electronic keyboard instrument according to claim 5, wherein the electronic keyboard instrument is provided.   Provided corresponding to each key, and having a plurality of mass bodies for urging the corresponding key in the key release direction in a non-key-pressed state and for applying an inertial force to the key pressing operation of the corresponding key. Each movable body is provided so as to be interposed between the corresponding key and the mass body, and by driving the corresponding key, the corresponding key cooperates with the inertial force of the corresponding mass body. The electronic keyboard instrument according to claim 5 or 6, wherein a force sensation is generated in response to an operation of pressing and releasing keys.

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