JPS6231311B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

The present invention relates to an electronic watch. In particular, it relates to an electronic watch with an electronic musical instrument. The accuracy of electronic clocks has been dramatically improved by the introduction of quartz clocks, but at the same time, by having a standard frequency and incorporating processing using electronic circuits,
A lot of freedom has been created. Stopwatch and timer with alarm. Also, devices that could tell international time became easier to use and at the same time came to be realized using the same clock body. In recent years, the number of people traveling both domestically and internationally has increased rapidly, and it has become extremely convenient for these people. The present invention aims to make the clock mechanism even more convenient by incorporating an electronic musical instrument at the same time. 1. Make it small enough to fit in your pocket.
This feature makes it easy for anyone to play a melody on a train, at an inn, at the beach, or in their own room during a trip, or to turn a melody they can think of into sound and compose it. This is a function that has been added to the functions of a watch. An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic clock with an electronic musical instrument that is convenient and easy to use by incorporating an electronic musical instrument that can compose music. Another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic watch with an electronic musical instrument function and a calculation function that is portable by making it portable. Still another object of the present invention is to make at least a part of the electronic musical instrument function and the electronic calculation function common to a part of the electronic clock function, and to make the electronic musical instrument and the electronic calculation function compact and inexpensive by integrating them into an IC. There is a way to get an electronic clock. Still another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic musical instrument and an electronic watch with an electronic calculation function, which have a memory section and are capable of storing notes indicating the contents of activities such as what time and minute they will do. Let us explain the invention in more detail. The basic components of the present invention include a key input section, a display section, a sound generation section, a standard signal generation section, a signal processing section, a memory section, and a power supply section. As for the electronic clock function, of course it basically has the function of knowing the time in hours, minutes, and seconds, but it can also be equipped with day and date functions, as well as a perpetual calendar. Furthermore, devices with built-in stopwatch functions, alarm functions, and timer functions increase convenience. Since these functions are well known, a detailed explanation will be omitted here, and a specific example of the electronic musical instrument functions used in the present invention will be described in detail below. FIG. 1 is an external view of an electronic portable musical instrument showing an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the instrument is a multi-functional product consisting of an electronic desktop calculator (hereinafter abbreviated as a calculator) and a watch. In the figure, 1 is a main body, 2 is a display section, 3 is a keyboard, 4 is a power switch, and 5 is a mode changeover switch. As you can see at first glance, the appearance is similar to that of a conventional calculator, and the size is the same as a hand-held calculator. Therefore, there is no need to explain how to use it as a calculator, but turn on power switch 4.
, set the mode selector switch 5 to CAL, and operate the keyboard 3 according to the calculation, the display section 2
The calculation process or results are displayed. However, each key on the keyboard 3 has various symbols attached to it, and in the case of a calculator function, the keys can be operated according to the numbers and symbols for addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, etc. written on the left side of the keys.
Also, when using it as a clock, set the mode selector switch 5 to TIME to display the time on the display section 2, and adjust the time by pressing the keyboard 3 in the SET state.
This can be done by Next, we will discuss how to operate it when using it as an electronic musical instrument. After all, turn on the power switch and change the mode switch to MUSIC. Then, by operating the key indicating a musical scale on the keyboard 3 and the # and ⓓ keys 7, a sound corresponding to the musical scale is emitted from the speaker sound emitting section 6. Here, the symbols of each key on the keyboard 3 are based on the symbol indicating the pitch on the right side, which is opposite to that of a calculator, and these keys 7 can be operated in accordance with the melody. These symbols are shown as black circles above the five lines, which are the same as musical notes, so they can be operated universally by anyone. Also, if you want to produce a semitone higher or lower tone, you can use the # and 〓 keys at the same time. Next, I will explain how to memorize a melody in the form of a melody when composing or coming up with an idea. At this time, press the mode selector switch shown in the figure.
By switching to COMPOSE and inputting the musical scale of the song using the key 7 and the types of notes and rests using the rest key 8, the data is stored in the memory section configured inside the main body 1. This content can be changed to speaker 6 by switching mode selector switch 5 to OUT.
It is structured so that it can be heard as a melody. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the above-described embodiment. A reference oscillator 9 is a crystal oscillator with a stable oscillation frequency. 10 is a synthesizer that divides the frequency of this reference oscillator 9 and converts it into the frequency of each scale, 11 is a keyboard, and 12 is a speaker. The keyboard 11 controls the synthesizer, and the speaker emits a tone corresponding to the key. Reference numeral 13 denotes a memory section, and when the mode of the selector switch 5 in FIG. 1 is COMPOSE, input from the keyboard 11 is written into the memory section 13 in response to the input. Further, the contents of this memory section are outputted as a melody from the speaker through the synthesizer 10 by setting the mode changeover switch 5 to OUT. Next, 14 is a calculator and a clock circuit, 15 is a display section, and when used as a calculator, the computer circuit 1 is operated by keyboard 11.
4 to display the results on the display section 15, and when used as a clock, the time is displayed on the display section. Here, as the reference oscillation source for operating the computer circuit 14, the reference oscillator 9 for producing sound or a frequency formed based on the reference oscillator 9 is used for rationalization. Here, some explanation will be added about the synthesizer 10 used in this embodiment.The crystal oscillator of the reference oscillator 9 in this embodiment uses a 2 ⁿ frequency oscillator that is often used in electronic wristwatches. However, since this is divided appropriately to create the frequency of each scale, it does not match the internationally determined frequency, and there is also a slight discrepancy between each scale, but this is the actual frequency. Since the invention is a simple portable musical instrument, and it is indistinguishable to the human ear, it is not a big problem. Rather, by forming it in this way, it was possible to simplify the circuit. Furthermore, since the electronic musical instrument of the present invention is a hand-held type, which is extremely small as mentioned above, its speaker is also very small. Therefore, in this example, the playback frequency band is set to 1KHz, which is advantageous for small speakers.
Since the above is limited to the treble side, the frequency of A in the key of C, that is, A ₄ , is 440Hz according to international conventions, but here
I set the frequency close to _A6 . However, this is just a different octave, and there is no problem in enjoying it as a musical instrument. Taking the above points into consideration, Table 1 shows a comparison between the frequencies of each scale created by appropriate frequency division and the theoretical values using a vibrator with a frequency of 2 ⁿ , that is, 32768 Hz. . Here, C ₆ is a value close to the standard, 32768Hz divided by 32 to 1024Hz, and the calculated values in Table 1 are the values calculated according to the evenly distributed average rate scale using this as a standard. The intervals between each scale are accurate. On the other hand, the actual value is a value obtained by dividing 32768 Hz by the value shown in the frequency division ratio section and setting it to a value close to the calculated value, and this value is used in this embodiment. The error with the calculated value is also shown, but the maximum error is about 1/6 pitch, which is difficult for the human ear to discern. Of course, if a vibrator with a frequency higher than 32768 Hz is used, or if a lower frequency band is used, the error can be further reduced.

【table】

[Table] One embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, and in this embodiment, the function of an electronic musical instrument is added to a hand-held calculator to create a unique multifunctional product. With this configuration, the keyboard of the calculator can be used as input for the electronic musical instrument, and its compact size makes it easy to enjoy as a musical instrument with extremely simple operations.In addition, it has added memory that is not found in conventional musical instruments. By doing so, you can easily compose music. In this way, we were able to combine the highly practical functions of a calculator with the relaxing functions of musical instruments and music composition to create a highly usable product. In this embodiment, the scale that can be used is about one and a half octaves because it is an ultra-small instrument and the frequency characteristics of the speaker are considered, but in practical terms, a fairly wide range of melodies can be enjoyed with this scale. However, smaller speakers with better frequency characteristics have been developed, for example by using high-performance rare earth permanent magnets and improving diaphragms, but if these are used,
It is possible to develop a product with higher performance than the embodiments described above. FIG. 3 is an external view showing another embodiment of the present invention which has been upgraded in this way. In Fig. 3, 16 is the main body, 17 is the display section, 18 is the keyboard, 19 is the power switch, 20 is the mode selection switch, and 21 is the speaker section. The keyboard is a feature of this embodiment. This auxiliary keyboard 22 is used in the musical instrument mode and composition mode, and is designed to expand the range of sounds compared to the operation of the keyboard 18 alone, and to add accompaniment in time with the beat. That is, if you press the +1CCT key on the auxiliary keyboard 22 and, for example, the G key on the keyboard 18 at the same time, the G note will be one octave higher than the scale when only the G key is pressed, and the -10CT key will be the opposite. The sound is one octave lower than 2/4,
The 3/4 and 4/4 keys are keys for inserting accompaniment of each time signature. By doing this, the first
By expanding the range and adding accompaniment compared to the embodiment described above, the function as a musical instrument is expanded. Moreover,
Despite these upgrades, it can be operated in almost the same way as the one shown in Figure 1, and does not require any special skill, making it an easy-to-enjoy electronic musical instrument. Auxiliary keys shown here
22 can have various functions. For example, the auxiliary keys can be changed or added as shown in FIG. In Figure 4, 23 represents Fuorte, the key that controls the strength of the melody, and P represents piano. 24 is a key that controls the tempo of the song.
As for these auxiliary keys, the function as a musical instrument can be improved by using the strength key 23 for the musical instrument and composing function and the tempo key 24 for the composing function. The above-described embodiments of the present invention are designed to be a unique product for combining a calculator and an electronic musical instrument, and to have a rational configuration, in which the keyboard can be used for both purposes and the reference oscillator can also be used. However, it is also possible to use the speaker for musical instruments for the calculator function. For example, if you use a calculator, each time you press a key, it emits a sound with a different pitch (i.e., it emits a sound with a pitch that corresponds to a number or function), and the resulting value is also output as a sound along with the display. It can be used as a calculator; in other words, conventional calculators had the disadvantage that they could operate the keys but could not see the results because they were blind, but if this could be done using sound, it would be easier for people who are blind. Can be used as a calculator. Furthermore, by combining the calculator function and the electronic musical instrument function, when your mind gets tired from using the calculator function, you can switch the mode to the electronic musical instrument function and play a pre-memorized melody to give your mind a rest. have an effect. Furthermore, as an application of the present invention, the display section can be used for multiple purposes, and an embodiment thereof is shown in FIG.
This display 25 is a dot matrix display, and is used to simply display numbers when the calculator function is in use, and musical notes as shown in the figure when the musical instrument and composition functions are used. With this configuration, we were able to create an electronic musical instrument that is visually enjoyable. Another feature of the present invention is that it is portable. When making something portable, thickness is always an issue. Let me describe one concrete example below. Most of the electronic musical instrument functions and clock functions are
Since it can be made into an IC, it can be made extremely small, but the problems are the key input section, sound generation section, and power supply section. However, the key input section can be made extremely thin by using a contact point that has recently been used in calculators and the like, in which a comb-shaped conductor is pressed down with a conductor plate from above to conduct electricity. At this time, of course, each time a key input is made, a sound is emitted from the speaker, and the display section displays a message corresponding to the key position, so it is no longer inconvenient to feel the snap of a key by hand. do not have. The thickness of the sound generating part, or speaker, can now be reduced to 1.5 cm or less. Of course, it is no longer profitable to sacrifice a small range of sound. For the power supply, the electronic circuit is made of C-MOS to reduce power consumption, and AA, preferably button-shaped silver batteries are used. The implementation of the electronic musical instrument function has been explained above, but next we will explain the commonization with the electronic clock function. Some of the basic components of the present invention described at the beginning are all common. A specific example will be explained with reference to FIG. The key input section 35 is for adjusting the time of the electronic clock.
Day, date correction, timer setting, etc. are all shared with the input keys of electronic musical instruments. Next, the display section 41 normally displays the clock function, but when using the electronic musical instrument function, it may be displayed on the same panel as the clock function element, or it may display the electronic musical instrument function instead of the clock function. will be made.
The sound generating section 43 not only generates a melody from an electronic musical instrument, but also generates an alarm sound from an electronic clock. The memory section 36 has a common function of time storage for a timer function and melody storage for an electronic musical instrument. The standard signal generator serves as a highly stable standard source such as a crystal oscillator, and serves as a time standard for a clock function and a frequency standard for a synthesizer that produces high frequencies for electronic musical instruments. Furthermore, the input signal of the electronic musical instrument's synthesizer is extracted from a part of the frequency divider used for the clock function. The timer function has been expanded even further, allowing users to make notes of their plans, such as what day, time and minute they will board the train, and other people's schedules, such as when traveling. The time set and the contents of the schedule are stored from the key input section into the memory section as explained in the specific example of the electronic musical instrument. A timer function is activated for the memorized time, and when the memorized time is reached, an alarm is sounded or displayed on the display. FIG. 6 shows a specific example in which input is made from the key input 35 to the memory section 36. counter 37
is common to the frequency divider of the clock function 38, and the contents of the counter 37 and the contents of the memory section 36 are compared by the comparator 39, and when they match, the contents of the memory section 36 are displayed on the display section 41 through the gate 40. will be displayed. The gate 40 is held for a certain period of time by a gate time controller 42, and the contents of the memory are displayed on the display section 41. On the other hand, an audible warning is issued through the alarm 43. At this time, the melody stored in the electronic musical instrument function described above is used as an alarm sound. The memory section 36 stores the scheduled time and scheduled contents. Although it is possible to store the scheduled contents in characters, since a large amount of memory is required here, the scheduled contents are encoded as numbers 1, 2, and 3. Or, it is shared with the symbol indicating the scale of an electronic musical instrument. If the schedule is not limited to just one item, a larger memory section is required, but since it is common with electronic musical instruments, the memory section has a large capacity enough to store multiple schedules. In this case, for example, the memory section stores the contents in chronological order, and when one schedule has passed, the next schedule is shifted to the right and moved to the previous schedule, as described above. Similarly, you will be alerted when that time comes. In this way, schedules move one after another in memory,
It is designed to be compared with the clock and to issue an alarm.
FIG. 7 shows a specific example in which the frequency divider of the clock section is not used as a timer reference. The contents of the memory section 45 up to the scheduled time are transferred to the counter 44 using the counter 44. The counter 44 may receive a second signal from the clock section 46, count down, and issue an alarm when the counter reaches 0. Here, A is a display section and a speaker section. In this case, if the plurality of contents are transferred to the counter one after another, they function in the same way as described above. Further, if the memory section 45 is used as it is as a frequency divider, the purpose can be achieved by receiving the second signal from the clock section and performing the same function as the counter function. The counter can also serve as a stopwatch. In this case, the memory section 45 stores the lap time. Electronic circuits consume less power to make them portable. C-
MOS is an effective tool. Next, let's explain the power supply section. When the memory section is made of volatile memory such as C-MOS or CCD, it is inexpensive and can have a large bit capacity, but it has the disadvantage of volatilization. In this case, it is better to share the power source with the electronic watch. Any power source may be used for the clock section, but silver batteries, lithium batteries, etc. are preferable. Of course, other alkaline batteries may be used for the electronic musical instrument, or the same may be used for the electronic clock section and the electronic musical instrument section. Digital electronic clocks can have more in common with electronic musical instruments, but analog clocks may also be used. Furthermore, it can be used as a table clock, a traveler's watch, or even a smaller wristwatch. As described above, the present invention makes it possible to compose music using a keyboard, store the melody, and play the melody at the time when an alarm occurs or at an arbitrary time. By making it possible to display characters such as numerical values or musical notes on a display unit in synchronization with the occurrence of occurrences, an electronic timepiece is provided that is easier to operate than conventional ones, is compact, and has multiple functions.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an external view of an electronic portable musical instrument showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of its internal configuration. FIG. 3 is an external view showing another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the keyboard of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the display section of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a specific example in which the frequency divider of the clock section is not used as a timer reference. 1, 16...Main body, 2, 15, 17, 25, 4
1... Display unit, 3, 7, 8, 11, 18... Keyboard, 4, 19... Power switch, 5, 20...
...Mode selector switch, 6, 12, 21, 43...
...Speaker section, 9, 33...Reference oscillator, 1
0,34...synthesizer, 13,36,45
...Memory section, 14...Calculator and timing circuit,
35... Key input section, 37, 44... Counter, 38, 46... Clock section, 39... Comparator, 40... Gate, 42... Gate time control section, A... Display section and speaker section.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A reference oscillator that generates a frequency of 1 to 2 ⁿ , a clock circuit that receives and counts the frequency of 2 ⁿ from the reference oscillator, a mode changeover switch that changes the function mode, a keyboard that inputs melody information, alarm information, etc., and the melody a memory section for storing information and the alarm information, etc.; a comparison circuit for detecting a coincidence between the counting contents from the time counting circuit and the alarm information from the memory section and outputting a coincidence signal; A synthesizer that divides the 2 ⁿ frequencies from the reference oscillator into frequencies of each scale, a speaker section that generates a sound according to the divided frequencies from the synthesizer, and a melody function selection signal from the mode changeover switch. composing means for storing the melody information input from the keyboard in the memory section in response to the melody performance selection signal from the mode changeover switch and the matching signal from the comparison circuit; A performance means for supplying the melody information to the synthesizer, receiving the information input from the keyboard, further receiving the information stored in the memory section, and transmitting the information to the operation signal of the keyboard or A multifunctional electronic timepiece characterized by comprising a display means for displaying the melody information in synchronization with generation of the melody information from the memory section.