JPH0631510Y2 - Keyboard instrument - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial field of application] The present invention relates to keyboard musical instruments such as pianos and electronic pianos.

[Conventional technology]

As represented by a piano, a keyboard instrument usually uses white and black keys, and only emits a peculiar sound to the struck keyboard,
No attempt was made to use the keyboard for any purpose other than tapping.

However, there is an object for playing a song by automatically operating the string striking mechanism without striking the keyboard like an automatic piano, and the keyboard is the same as when the keyboard was struck in conjunction with the operation of the string striking mechanism. It does move, but it does not go beyond the original function of operating the sounding mechanism.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

On the other hand, in an electric or electronic musical instrument such as an electronic piano or a synthesizer, an electronic or mechanical sound source device for extracting electric vibration is provided to match its waveform and add various effects as a musical instrument. However, attention is paid exclusively to the software, and there is no expansion of the function of the keyboard, and it is considered as a means to generate sound by tapping like a piano. Electrical,
Although the playing effect of electronic musical instruments has remarkably leapt due to the development of software, new development is strongly required not only in software development but also in hardware in order to respond to the diverse demands of consumers.

An object of the present invention is to provide a keyboard musical instrument having a light emitting function in which the keyboard itself has an original sounding function and the keyboard itself serves as an illuminator.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to achieve the above object, the keyboard instrument according to the present invention is a keyboard instrument having a surface light emitter and a drive circuit, wherein the surface light emitter is electroluminescence or electrochromic, and a white key and a black key of a keyboard. Is attached to the upper surface of the keyboard, and each surface light emitter is an illuminating device for making the keyboard emit surface light, and the drive circuit selectively controls the light emission timing of each surface light emitter.

[Action]

The keyboard itself, including the white and black keys, emits surface light, which functions as a lighting fixture. However, since the black key does not emit light when it is black, the black key emits at least a color different from that of the white key. In addition, by selectively controlling the light emission timing of each surface light emitter in association with the original sounding function by tapping the keyboard, various functions such as performance guidance function, rhythm chord, and fingering display function are provided as performance assistance functions. Is obtained. Even when these auxiliary functions are executed, the selected surface light emitter emits light to obtain a moving illumination effect. Electroluminescence and electrochromic have high surface emission intensity, and sufficient emission intensity can be obtained as a lighting tool. Furthermore, according to electroluminescence, the emission color can be functionally changed depending on the frequency.

〔Example〕

 The configuration of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 3, a keyboard instrument such as a piano or an electronic piano is provided with a white key 1a and a black key 1b arranged in parallel on the main body, and the striking mechanism of the keyboard 1 and the electronic circuit are activated by tapping each keyboard 1. It is the same as the conventional one in that each keyboard produces a unique tone color. The figure shows an example of an electronic piano.

In Fig. 1, the present invention is a keyboard 1 including a white key 1a and a black key 1b.
The surface light emitter 2 is attached to the upper surface of the
It has been coated with. The surface light emitter 2 is specifically EL:
Electroluminescence or EC: Electrochromic. EL elements are roughly classified into those with an insulating layer and those with a semiconductor layer. The MIS type EL, which is classified into the latter, has a thickness of 1 m / m and can be cut into any shape before use. . One of the surface light emitters 2 is attached to the upper surface of the keyboard 1 and is divided into two or more light emission colors different from each other to form the same plane, and each light emitter 2 is electrically connected to its drive circuit 4. An example of the drive circuit 4 is shown in FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b). Fig. 2
In (a) and (b), relays RL _1-1 to RL _nn are connected to the output side of the I / 0 light emitter interface 7 corresponding to each light emitter 2 _n−n (n = 1, 2 ...). Each relay RL _{1-1 to} RL _nn
The contact rl _1-1 ~rl _1n-n connected in series to each light emitter 2 _n-n, are connected in parallel to this series circuit to the power supply 11 via the oscillator and the booster 10. In FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b), data input by operating the keyboard 5 is input to a personal computer (central processing unit) 6, and an I / O light emitter is controlled by a program formed based on the input data. The functions of the interface 7 are executed, the relays RL _{1-1 to} RL _nn are selectively operated, and the specific surface light emitter 2 attached to each keyboard 1
_A current flows through nn (n = 1, 2 ...), and light is emitted. Each surface-emitting body 2 _n-n basically operates in relation to the input issued from the performance switch 9 to the keyboard interface 8 by tapping on a specific keyboard 1, but at the time of its operation, the specific keyboard is tapped. It is free to set the time immediately before, during or after beating. Further, the emission of light from the surface light-emitting body does not necessarily have to be the struck keyboard or the struck keyboard. The sequence of keyboards that emit light under program control,
Various functions can be added in addition to the performance function by tapping the keyboard by setting the timing and type. An example of this application is shown below.

(Lighting function) The lighting function can be obtained by simply causing the keyboard itself to emit light. In general performance venues, the illuminance of the venue is often lowered in order to enhance the effect. For this reason, the player may have difficulty in seeing the keyboard and may use dedicated lighting. In such a case, playing the keyboard becomes easy by making the keyboard emit light. Of course, it is possible to adjust the illuminance to such an extent that the performance effect is not impaired. On the contrary, by increasing the illuminance and utilizing the synergistic effect of sound and light by using a circuit that emits light by hitting the keyboard, it is possible to enhance the effect of presentation at an outdoor concert at night. The lighting function is the function that is the object of the present invention. The brightest lighting is obtained when the entire keyboard of the instrument is illuminated, but it is static lighting that does not change. In order to provide the lighting effect with variability, it is of course possible to control the light emission and blinking of the surface-emitting body for each keyboard independently of the playing function, but the surface-emitting body is linked with the playing function described below. If the light emission control is performed, the lighting will have “movement” according to the performance content, and the performance effect due to the interaction between light and sound can be enjoyed.

(Performance guidance function) A performance guidance function is obtained by sequentially emitting light to the keyboard to be tapped prior to the operation of the performance.

However, as a beginner and educational keyboard instrument having a performance guidance function, a structure in which a light emitting diode is embedded in the upper body of the keyboard and light is emitted prior to tapping the keyboard has been conventionally known. However, the light emitting diode is a point light source, and it is relatively easy to see what is located in front of the player, but as the distance from the left to the right becomes different, the angle between the display position of the diode and the target keyboard will shift, making it difficult for the player to see. Cheap. In this plan, the keyboard itself emits surface light, so you can play without mistakes.

(Rhythm, chord, fingering display function) The surface light emitter to be attached to the keyboard is divided into two or more and the light emitting area is adjusted, the combination pattern of the black surface light emitters, the illuminance of the surface light emitters or the blinking cycle is selected. This makes it possible to display the strength, weakness, and chord of the sound. For example, the following displays can be used properly.

a) The sound intensity symbols (p, mp, mf, f, etc.) are made to correspond to the magnitude of the illuminance.

b) A note (a quarter note, a half note, a whole note) is displayed in the light emitting area.

c) For chords, two or more keyboards to be tapped simultaneously emit light.

d) The musical notation symbols (treble, treble, and treble clef) are displayed by a combination pattern of emission colors.

e) All rests are turned off.

In addition, the position of the note on the staff can be displayed in a blinking cycle to show the correspondence between the score and the keyboard to improve the ability to read the score.

(Demonstration display and accompaniment display function) A display with an accompaniment function outside the keyboard is conventionally known. In the case of the present proposal, each range area A to H can be simultaneously displayed in a line by dividing the partial keyboard display as shown in FIG. This makes it easy to play the duet and accompaniment.

[Effect of device]

As described above, in the case of the present invention, it is possible to give a musical instrument a function as a lighting device by utilizing the light emission of the surface light emitting body attached to the keyboard, and to perform under bright lighting during the performance.
In particular, by associating the lighting function by light emission with the sounding function, it is possible to develop a new development for keyboard musical instruments by the combined effect of sound and light. Fortunately, the surface light emitter has a color close to white when it is turned off, so there is no discomfort when used as it is for the white key, and the effect that can be applied without problems by using the black filter when used for the black key is also achieved. Have.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a keyboard showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
(a), (b) is a block diagram showing an example of a drive circuit, and FIG. 3 is a plan view of a keyboard showing an embodiment of a duo display and an accompaniment display function. 1 ... Keyboard, 2 ... Surface light emitter 4 ... Driving circuit

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A keyboard instrument having a surface light emitter and a drive circuit, wherein the surface light emitter is electroluminescence or electrochromic, and is attached to an upper surface of the keyboard including a white key and a black key of the keyboard. A keyboard instrument characterized in that each surface-emitting body is an illuminating device for surface-emitting the keyboard, and the drive circuit selectively controls the emission timing of each surface-emitting body.