Process for ordering a selection in advance, digital system and jukebox for embodiment of the process

• US 10,068,279 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2015
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TouchTunes Music Corporation (The Octave Music Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TouchTunes Music Corporation (The Octave Music Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nathan, Guy, Dion, Dominique, Mastronardi, Tony
• Primary Examiner(s): Garg, Yogesh C
• Application Number:
  US14/796,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20150317722A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 705 268, 705 271, 705 2641
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1824 implemented using Network-attached Storage [NAS] architecture distributed or networked storage systems G06F3/067; protocols for distributed storage of data in a network H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/305 for record players
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/08 by using devices external to the driving mechanisms, e.g. coin-freed switch coin actuated mechanisms G07F5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

This invention relates to a process for ordering a selection in advance, characterized in that it includes a step in which a menu is displayed followed by a selection in this menu, to make specific requests and particularly: a step displaying the event for which the advance order of a selection is made, and then selection of the event; a step displaying the identity of destination equipment on which the selection is to be played, and then selection of this equipment; a step displaying the date and time at which the selection is to be made on the destination equipment; a step in which particular requests are recorded and downloaded onto a file only after payment has been verified.

Claims

1. A user terminal operable to cause music to be ordered for playback on destination equipment, the user terminal comprising:

a network interface configured to enable the user terminal to connect to a host server; and

processing resources including a hardware processor and memory coupled to the hardware processor, the processing resources being configured to control the user terminal to at least;

display, via the user terminal, a listing of musical items that are playable on the destination equipment;

receive a user selection of a musical item to be played back on the destination equipment, the user selection being performable in connection with the listing;

enable receipt of user input specifying a time at which the selected musical item is to be played;

transmit, from the user terminal to the server, information identifying the destination equipment, the selected musical item, and the time at which the selected musical item is to be played;

thereby

causing the selected musical item to be played back via the destination equipment in relation to the time at which the selected musical item is to be played;

wherein the destination equipment is different than the user terminal.

2. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the information identifying the destination equipment, the selected musical item, and the time at which the selected musical item is to be played is saved to a file on the server, and the file is subsequently transmitted from the server to the destination equipment.

3. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the processing resources are further configured to control the user terminal to at least receive an indication of an event for which the user selection is being made.

4. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the processing resources are further configured to control the user terminal to at least enable a message to be associated with the user selection to be chosen or saved.

5. The terminal of claim 4, wherein the processing resources are further configured to control the user terminal to at least transmit the message to the server.

6. The terminal of claim 4, wherein the message is selectable from a plurality of predefined messages.

7. The terminal of claim 1, wherein transmission of the information identifying the destination equipment, the selected musical item, and the time at which the selected musical item is to be played from the terminal also triggers electronic transfer of the information the destination equipment.

8. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the processing resources are further configured to control the user terminal to at least verify receipt of payment to authorize generation and transmission of the information identifying the destination equipment, the selected musical item, and the time at which the selected musical item is to be played.

9. An electronic device, comprising:

a network interface facilitating a connection to a host server via a network;

a display device;

processing resources including a hardware processor and memory coupled to the hardware processor, the processing resources being configured to control the electronic device to at least;

display, via the display device, a user interface configured to enable a user to order, in advance, a selection to be played on at least one destination device connectable via the network to the host server and located remote from the electronic device,

the user interface being further configured to enable the user to specify a selection to be played, and a time at which the selection is to be played;

receive, via the user interface, at least one request concerning a selection to be played, a time at which the selection is to be played, and a selection of at least one destination device;

display, in connection with the user interface, an indication of each said destination device on which the selection is to be played, the selection to be played, the time the selection is to be played;

generate, responsive to verification that the selection has been made, a listing of each said received request;

electronically transfer to the server the generated listing, thereby

causing, in connection with the electronic transfer, any selections in the listing to be played back in relation to the times at which the respective selections are to be played and in relation to the selected destination device(s).

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein a request processing module is provided to each destination device, the request processing module being configured to receive and process a relevant portion of the listing generated at the electronic device.

11. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the user interface is programmed to enable the user to specify a message for later display.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the message is included in the listing.

13. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the user interface is programmed to enable the user to specify a message for later display, select a predefined message, and/or specify a custom message.

14. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the message is displayable on a specified destination device.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the specified destination device is programmed to determine whether a current time matches the time specified in the listing for selections in the listing that are to be played back thereon.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the specified destination device is further programmed to cause a given selection to be played in the event that there is a match between the current time and the time specified in the listing for the given selection.

17. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the listing is separate from selections to be played.

18. The electronic device of claim 9, the user interface is further configured to enable the user to specify an event associated with a selection to be played.

19. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the event occurs in the future.