To provide an electronic wind instrument capable of accurately detecting the amount of rotation of a transmission member. During an electronic wind instrument performance by a performer, external light (such as light from lighting) may easily shine on the upper surface side of an instrument main body. However, the light-receiving section of an optical sensor faces toward the bottom surface side of the instrument main body therefore external light from the upper surface side of the instrument main body can be prevented from reaching the light-receiving section of the optical sensor. As a result, erroneous detection of the external light by the optical sensor can be suppressed therefore the rotation amount of a transmission member can be accurately detected by the optical sensor.

A displacement amount detecting apparatus is provided and includes: transmission member, transmitting a displacement on one end side thereof to a displacement on the other end side thereof; a sensor, disposed to face the other end side of the transmission member, and configured to output a value according to a distance between the sensor and the other end side of the transmission member; a calculation device, calculating a value for indicating the distance based on the value output by the sensor and a reference value; and a correction device, correcting the reference value. When the one end side is displaced in a first direction, the other end side is displaced in a second direction opposite to the first direction and away from the sensor. The correction) device is configured to correct the reference value based on the value for indicating the distance calculated by the calculation device.

To provide an electronic wind instrument capable of accurately detecting the amount of rotation of a transmission member. An electronic wind instrument whereby contact with an optical sensor by a flat surface of a rear section can be suppressed even when at least a prescribed amount of a reed is bitten, as a result of the flat surface rotating in a direction away from the optical sensor when the rear section of the transmission member rotates in conjunction with displacement of the reed. As a result, the spacing between the facing flat surface and the optical sensor can be set comparatively narrowly in the initial state and the detection sensitivity at the optical sensor increased, thereby enabling accurate detection of the rotation amount of the transmission member (the amount of the reed that is bitten).

To provide an electronic wind instrument capable of accurately detecting the amount of rotation of a transmission member. During an electronic wind instrument performance by a performer, external light (such as light from lighting) may easily shine on the upper surface side of an instrument main body. However, the light-receiving section of an optical sensor faces toward the bottom surface side of the instrument main body therefore external light from the upper surface side of the instrument main body can be prevented from reaching the light-receiving section of the optical sensor. As a result, erroneous detection of the external light by the optical sensor can be suppressed therefore the rotation amount of a transmission member can be accurately detected by the optical sensor.

With reference to FIG. 7a the present invention relates to transducer apparatus (200) for use with a reed instrument (201) having an air chamber (15) forming a resonant cavity whose resonance characteristics are controlled by opening and closing of tone holes (17A, 17B) connecting the air chamber to the exterior of the reed instrument. The transducer apparatus comprises attachment means (202) for releasably securing the transducer apparatus to a mouthpiece (201) of the reed instrument in place of a reed. A reed replacement section (203) has a housing with an abutment surface for abutting a surface part of the mouthpiece which would be abutted by a reed secured to the mouthpiece. An air passage extends through the housing of the reed replacement section (203) from an air inlet (211) through which a player of the instrument can blow to an air outlet (213) through which air blown by the player is delivered to atmosphere, without passing through the air chamber (15) within the reed instrument. A speaker (208) is supported by the housing and delivers sound to the air chamber (15). An air chamber microphone (209) is supported by the housing and receives sound in the air chamber (15). An electronic processing unit (204) has: an excitation unit (101) which produces an excitation signal for driving the speaker (208); a processor (102) for receiving a measurement signal produced by the microphone and for detecting from the measurement signal a musical note played by the instrument; a synthesizer (220) for generating an electronic signal embodying a musical note which corresponds to the detected musical note; and output means (103) for transmitting the musical note generated by the synthesizer to a receiver external of the transducer apparatus. The invention also relates to a system for representing the sounds of a reed instrument having the components of the transducer apparatus, to an electronic system for determining a musical note played by a reed instrument having the components of the transducer apparatus and to a method of practising playing of a reed instrument comprising use of the components of the transducer apparatus.

With reference to FIG. 7a the present invention relates to transducer apparatus (200) for use with a reed instrument (201) having an air chamber (15) forming a resonant cavity whose resonance characteristics are controlled by opening and closing of tone holes (17A, 17B) connecting the air chamber to the exterior of the reed instrument. The transducer apparatus comprises attachment means (202) for releasably securing the transducer apparatus to a mouthpiece (201) of the reed instrument in place of a reed. A reed replacement section (203) has a housing with an abutment surface for abutting a surface part of the mouthpiece which would be abutted by a reed secured to the mouthpiece. An air passage extends through the housing of the reed replacement section (203) from an air inlet (211) through which a player of the instrument can blow to an air outlet (213) through which air blown by the player is delivered to atmosphere, without passing through the air chamber (15) within the reed instrument. A speaker (208) is supported by the housing and delivers sound to the air chamber (15). An air chamber microphone (209) is supported by the housing and receives sound in the air chamber (15). An electronic processing unit (204) has: an excitation unit (101) which produces an excitation signal for driving the speaker (208); a processor (102) for receiving a measurement signal produced by the microphone and for detecting from the measurement signal a musical note played by the instrument; a synthesizer (220) for generating an electronic signal embodying a musical note which corresponds to the detected musical note; and output means (103) for transmitting the musical note generated by the synthesizer to a receiver external of the transducer apparatus. The invention also relates to a system for representing the sounds of a reed instrument having the components of the transducer apparatus, to an electronic system for determining a musical note played by a reed instrument having the components of the transducer apparatus and to a method of practising playing of a reed instrument comprising use of the components of the transducer apparatus.

With reference to FIG. 7a the present invention relates to transducer apparatus (200) for use with a reed instrument (201) having an air chamber (15) forming a resonant cavity whose resonance characteristics are controlled by opening and closing of tone holes (17A, 17B) connecting the air chamber to the exterior of the reed instrument. The transducer apparatus comprises attachment means (202) for releasably securing the transducer apparatus to a mouthpiece (201) of the reed instrument in place of a reed. A reed replacement section (203) has a housing with an abutment surface for abutting a surface part of the mouthpiece which would be abutted by a reed secured to the mouthpiece. An air passage extends through the housing of the reed replacement section (203) from an air inlet (211) through which a player of the instrument can blow to an air outlet (213) through which air blown by the player is delivered to atmosphere, without passing through the air chamber (15) within the reed instrument. A speaker (208) is supported by the housing and delivers sound to the air chamber (15). An air chamber microphone (209) is supported by the housing and receives sound in the air chamber (15). An electronic processing unit (204) has: an excitation unit (101) which produces an excitation signal for driving the speaker (208); a processor (102) for receiving a measurement signal produced by the microphone and for detecting from the measurement signal a musical note played by the instrument; a synthesizer (220) for generating an electronic signal embodying a musical note which corresponds to the detected musical note; and output means (103) for transmitting the musical note generated by the synthesizer to a receiver external of the transducer apparatus. The invention also relates to a system for representing the sounds of a reed instrument having the components of the transducer apparatus, to an electronic system for determining a musical note played by a reed instrument having the components of the transducer apparatus and to a method of practising playing of a reed instrument comprising use of the components of the transducer apparatus.

A detection device including n number of sensors arrayed in a direction, in which n is an integer of 3 or more and from which (n1) pairs of adjacent sensors are formed, and a processor which determines one specified position in the direction based on output values of the n number of sensors, in which the processor calculates (n1) sets of difference values each of which is a difference between two output values corresponding to each of the (n1) pairs of sensors, and determines the one specified position based on the (n1) sets of difference values and correlation positions corresponding to the (n1) sets of difference values and indicating positions correlated with array positions of each pair of sensors.

A displacement amount detecting apparatus is provided and includes: transmission member, transmitting a displacement on one end side thereof to a displacement on the other end side thereof; a sensor, disposed to face the other end side of the transmission member, and configured to output a value according to a distance between the sensor and the other end side of the transmission member; a calculation device, calculating a value for indicating the distance based on the value output by the sensor and a reference value; and a correction device, correcting the reference value. When the one end side is displaced in a first direction, the other end side is displaced in a second direction opposite to the first direction and away from the sensor. The correction device is configured to correct the reference value based on the value for indicating the distance calculated by the calculation device.

Calculation is performed to provide a delay and attenuated oscillation to a blowing pressure detected by a blowing pressure sensor which detects blowing pressure, and a musical sound is generated based on the blowing pressure subjected to the calculation. As a result, for example, a blowing feeling of an electronic wind instrument can be made closer to a blowing feeling of a natural musical instrument.