US3844192A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Chord control system for electronic organ
Assignee: Thomas International Corp
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Filing: 1973-05-04
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Granted: 1974-10-29
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Expires: 1993-05-04
Abstract
Abstract A semiautomatic chord control system for use with electronic organs having one or more manual keyboards and pedals. A preset major chord switch and a pedal controlled chord switch are provided on the control panel for selective control of different chords to be produced in response to playing of selected root notes on the lower keyboard. In the semiautomatic mode, the organ selectively plays a major, a minor, a seventh, or a minor seventh chord depending on the setting of the chord switches and the selective use of the pedal clavier. The control system plays a chord sequence of the selected type automatically upon the player depressing the desired root note on the lower keyboard.
Inventors
- 👤 J Brand
- 👤 A Carlson
- 👤 B Penhollow
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 14:07
CPC Classifications
G; G10; G10H; G10H1/00; G10H1/36; G10H1/38; G10H1/386; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S84/00; Y10S84/22; Y10S84/25
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
92 words
In an electronic organ having a manual keyboard, and pedals a semiautomatic chord control system comprising: selector means for producing selectively either a single corresponding note or a first type of chord having said note as the root note thereof as a result of depression of any one of a set of keys of the keyboard; and modifier means for changing at least one of the notes of said chord to another type of chord as a result of depression of a pedal with said selector means arranged to produce said chord.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
92 words
In an electronic organ having a manual keyboard, and pedals a semiautomatic chord control system comprising: selector means for producing selectively either a single corresponding note or a first type of chord having said note as the root note thereof as a result of depression of any one of a set of keys of the keyboard; and modifier means for changing at least one of the notes of said chord to another type of chord as a result of depression of a pedal with said selector means arranged to produce said chord.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
50 words
The organ control system of claim 1 wherein said pedals include a plurality of natural pedals and a plurality of sharp pedals, said modifier means changing the chord to one type when a natural pedal is so depressed and to a different type when a sharp pedal is so depressed.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
The organ control system of claim 1 wherein said modifier means changes the chord to a single said another type whenever any one of a plurality of said pedals is so depressed.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
69 words
The organ control system of claim 1 wherein said pedals include a plurality of natural pedals and a plurality of sharp pedals, said modifier means changing the chord to one type when a natural pedal is so depressed and to a different type when a sharp pedal is so depressed, and to a further different type when both a natural pedal and a sharp pedal are concurrently so depressed.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
The organ control system claim 1 wherein means are provided for selectively causing said depression of a key of the keyboard to play a succession of notes in a preselected rhythm sequence.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
The organ control system of claim 1 wherein said another type of chord comprises a minor chord.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
The organ control system of claim 1 wherein said another type of chord comprises a seventh chord.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
65 words
The organ control system of claim 1 wherein said pedals include a plurality of natural pedals and a plurality of sharp pedals, said modifier means changing the chord to minor when a natural pedal is so depressed, to a seventh when a sharp pedal is so depressed, and to a minor seventh when both a natural pedal and a sharp pedal are concurrently so depressed.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
The organ control system of claim 1 wherein said organ includes an upper manual keyboard and a lower manual keyboard and said key compriSes a key of said lower manual keyboard.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
21 words
The organ control system of claim 1 wherein said another type of chord has said note as the root note thereof.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
104 words
In an electronic organ, a semiautomatic chord control system comprising: a first manual keyboard having a plurality of keys; means for causing a chord of a first chord type to be sounded in response to actuation of any one of said keys, said chord having a root corresponding to the activated key; a second keyboard having a plurality of keys; and means for conditioning said second keyboard to cause the contemporaneous actuation of any one of said plurality of keys thereof to change at least one of the notes of said chord and thereby change said first chord type to a second chord type.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
104 words
In an electronic organ, a semiautomatic chord control system comprising: a first manual keyboard having a plurality of keys; means for causing a chord of a first chord type to be sounded in response to actuation of any one of said keys, said chord having a root corresponding to the activated key; a second keyboard having a plurality of keys; and means for conditioning said second keyboard to cause the contemporaneous actuation of any one of said plurality of keys thereof to change at least one of the notes of said chord and thereby change said first chord type to a second chord type.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
15 words
The electronic organ of claim 11 wherein said first chord type is a major chord.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
61 words
The electronic organ of claim 11 wherein said second keyboard includes a first group of keys corresponding to the natural tones in a musical scale and a second group of keys corresponding to the sharp tones in a musical scale and wherein actuation of at least one of said first group of keys changes the major chord to a minor chord.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
26 words
The electronic organ of claim 13 wherein actuation of at least one of said second group of keys changes the major chord to a seventh chord.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
39 words
The electronic organ of claim 13 wherein contemporaneous actuation of at least one key of said first group of keys and at least one key of said second group of keys changes the chord to a minor seventh chord.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
90 words
The electronic organ of claim 11 wherein said conditioning means incldues circuit means for changing said first chord type to said second chord type comprising first switching means, second switching means defined by a plurality of series connected single pole, double throw switches associated one each with the individual keys of said second keyboard, and control means operatively associated with said switching means for changing the first chord type to a second chord type as an incident of depression of any number of said individual keys of said second keyboard.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
24 words
The electronic organ of claim 16 wherein said second switch means is connected to a third switching means comprising a bistable flip flop circuit.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
85 words
The electronic organ of claim 14 wherein said conditioning means includes circuit means for changing a major chord to a seventh chord comprising first switching means, second switching means defined by a plurality of series connected single pole, double throw switches associated one each with individual keys of said second keyboard and control means operatively associated with said switching means for converting the major chord to a seventh chord as an incident of depression of any number of said individual keys of said second keyboard
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
29 words
The electronic organ of claim 11 wherein the first keyboard includes a control section, said plurality of keys for selecting a chord comprising the keys of said control section.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
145 words
In an electronic organ having a pedal clavier, a plurality of different tone generators and a keyboard for playing selectively any one of a plurality of different major chord root notes and selector means selectively causing the depression of any selected root note key of a set of keys of said keyboard to actuate a preselected corresponding set of the tone generators to sound a correspondingly major chord of the selected root note, a chord control system comprising: electronic switch means for controlling selective actuation of the tone generators; a plurality of series connected switches controlled one each by the individual pedals of the pedal clavier; and circuit means for selectively operating different ones of said electronic switch means as a result of depressing any of the pedal clavier pedals to change at least one note of the selected major chord to a different chord.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
145 words
In an electronic organ having a pedal clavier, a plurality of different tone generators and a keyboard for playing selectively any one of a plurality of different major chord root notes and selector means selectively causing the depression of any selected root note key of a set of keys of said keyboard to actuate a preselected corresponding set of the tone generators to sound a correspondingly major chord of the selected root note, a chord control system comprising: electronic switch means for controlling selective actuation of the tone generators; a plurality of series connected switches controlled one each by the individual pedals of the pedal clavier; and circuit means for selectively operating different ones of said electronic switch means as a result of depressing any of the pedal clavier pedals to change at least one note of the selected major chord to a different chord.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
66 words
The electronic organ system of claim 20 wherein said pedal clavier includes natural and sharp pedals, said series connected Switches include a first set controlled by sharp pedals of the pedal clavier, and said circuit means is arranged to provide a different type of chord based on the selected root note as an incident of depression selectively of either a natural pedal or a sharp pedal.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
81 words
The electronic organ system of claim 20 wherein said pedal clavier includes natural and sharp pedals, said series connected switches include a first set controlled by natural pedals of the pedal clavier and a second set controlled by sharp pedals of the pedal clavier, and said circuit means is arranged to provide a different type of chord based on the selected root note as an incident of depression selectively of either a natural pedal or a sharp pedal, or both concurrently.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-10-28 | 1978-04-29 | 1978-10-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-10-28 | 1982-04-29 | 1982-10-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-10-28 | 1986-04-29 | 1986-10-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |