Kimball International, Inc.

Coulter Systems Corporation

Brian N Wilcox

John W Robinson

Lysle D Cahill

John A Lawson

Billy J Whittington

E Raymond Thomas

Luke L Talley

Melvin J Schroeder

William W Marshall

A flat bed scanner system for optically sensing a transparent original image and producing three channels of binary digital data representing the densities of the original image. Each channel produces data in response to one sensing color and sensing of the original image occurs by directing a focused image of a beam of white light onto and across the original image in a pattern of parallel scan lines there being a plurality of sensing positions along each scan line, and producing the digital output data in response to the modulated beam of light transmitted by the original image. There is an optical system which provides for the directing of the beam of white light across the original image and which directs the modulated beam onto sensors. The optical system includes color correction and field flattening of the beam of white light and provides a cylinder condenser lens for the modulated beam of white light. An electronic system receives signals from the sensors and converts them into the desired digital data through analog to digital and logarithmic conversion circuits, base line correction circuits and references compensation circuits. The electronic system also provides a sample clock signal synchronizing the locations of the sensing beam with the locations of the sample positions by way of an optical grating system. An electromechanical system is provided to maintain the optical system in focus from scan line to scan line on both the original image and the optical grating system.

Flat bed scanner system and method

A central processor for an electronic organ in the form of a single, forty pin integrated circuit chip employing multiplexed technology and trinary and tri-level inputs to obtain maximum usage from each pin. The solo manual keys, chord keys, rhythm pattern switches and other control functions are multiplexed externally of the chip, fed into the chip as a time division multiplexed four bit byte over four pins, and demultiplexed internally of the chip. The solo manual information is multiplexed internally of the chip to form a single serial data stream, is combined with solo fill note data generated within the chip and then brought out over a single pin for external demultiplexing. The twelve tones of a musical octave are brought into the chip over twelve pins together with various static control signals, are decoded by tri-level decoders internally of the chip, and then utilized to generate the tones of the chords, also internally of the chip. Chord tone generation is accomplished by selecting the musical fifth tone in an internal ROM, dividing this tone by a factor of three to produce the fundamental and generating the third and seventh tones also through the use of internal ROMs. Keying of the chord tones is accomplished by internal digital sustain keyers which provide an output over a single pin. There is also provided internally of the chip the capability for producing bass patterns, note patterns and rhythm percussion patterns. By suitable controls, the chip may be adapted for use in a large organ configuration, where various of the timing controls are generated externally, and in a small organ configuration, where these controls are generated internally of the chip.

Full note generator system for an electronic organ

Integrated central processor for electronic organ

An integrated keyer system for use in electronic organs comprising a plurality of discrete integrated circuit chips each corresponding to two adjacent octaves of the keyboard and connected in series to accommodate the entire keyboard. The keyer system is adapted for use in multiplexed systems wherein the keyswitch closure information is encoded in a time division multiplexed data stream fed through a plurality of the keyer chips, which are connected in series. Each of the keyer chips includes a plurality of tone inputs and outputs and a divide-by-four circuit for lowering the tones in by two octaves. The keyer chips also include serial data inputs and outputs and a demultiplexer for demultiplexing the serial data stream at the serial data input to produce a plurality of control signals corresponding to keydown signals in the serial data stream, which are fed to the individual keyers. The demultiplexer, which may be in the form of a shift register having latches connected between the various stages thereof and the keyers, also serves to delay the serial data stream by two octaves. The keyer chips have their tone inputs and outputs connected in series with the tone input of the first keyer being connected to the tone generator means. The serial data inputs and outputs are also connected in series so that the data stream is fed through the entire bank of chips in series before the data is latched into the keyers. The keyers are of the pseudo sustain type, in which the charge from one capacitor is incrementally transferred to another capacitor to produce the rise and decay for the keying envelope, and are controlled by a pair of counters having variable effective count lengths. The counters are controlled by means of tri-level inputs over a number of the tone input lines. By also connecting the tone inputs and outputs in series and lowering the frequency by two octaves in each chip, the tones feeding the divider/keyer circuit are at the proper frequency for the particular octaves in question.

Solo sustain keyer system

Circuitry for generating rhythmic patterns of notes corresponding to notes of a selected chord wherein tone signals according to the notes of the selected chord are connected to the inputs of keyers each time a chord playing key is depressed and control a current which flows through the keyers to the organ output circuitry in accordance with a selected pattern sequence of notes which is provided to a plurality of envelope generators at a rhythmic rate. The keyers are grouped to correspond to the four components of a selected chord and each of the keyer groups has an individual envelope generator connected thereto which activates the keyer group under the command of the selected pattern and imparts a characteristic attack and decay envelope to the tone signal.

Chord pattern generator

A method and apparatus for memorizing and playing back an accompaniment passage in an electronic organ wherein the keyboard is multiplexed to develop a serial input data stream having keydown signals in the time slots corresponding to the depressed keys, selectively writing into a programmable random access memory data corresponding to the absolute address of the first occurring keydown signal in the pulse train and then writing into the memory data corresponding to the intervals, expressed in terms of time slots in the multiplexed data stream, between a number of the first occurring keydown signals, beginning with the first occurring signal. The data is read out of the memory and converted to a serial time division multiplexed data stream by means of comparators which produce a pulse each time there is a compare condition between the output of the memory and the count produced by the master counter/subcounter. The serial data stream is then demultiplexed so as to isolate the appropriate keyers to produce the tones selected by the keys depressed during the record mode.

Method and apparatus for memorizing an accompaniment passage

An electronic organ having solo, accompaniment, and pedal keyboards, or manuals, and adjustable into different modes of playing for at least the accompaniment keyboard. In a first playing mode, the accompaniment keyboard plays in a conventional manner with each key of the keyboard which is depressed actuating a respective keyer. In a second selectable playing mode, the keys of the accompaniment keyboard are disabled for actuating keyers in a conventional manner and, instead, a selected group of the keys, referred to as 'chord playing' keys, are made effective for playing chords by having each of the chord playing keys actuate a respective group of keyers while the key is depressed. In a third playing mode, the keys of the accompaniment manual are disabled for actuating respective keyers and, instead, the same group of 'chord playing' keys referred to above are enabled for actuating the keyers pertaining to respective chords singly, or in groups, sequentially at predetermined time intervals. At this time further, or even, different notes can be sounded.

Growing community of inventors

Kettering, OH, United States of America

Brian N Wilcox