INTELLIGENT DIGITAL AUDIOVISUAL PLAYBACK SYSTEM

• US 20020016968A1
• Filed: 07/23/1997
• Published: 02/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1994
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: TouchTunes Music Corporation (The Octave Music Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TouchTunes Music Corporation (The Octave Music Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: MASTRONARDI, TONY, NATHAN, GUY
• Application Number:
  US08/817,690
• Publication Number:
  US 20020016968A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/86
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• 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: G10H 1/0033 Recording/reproducing or transmission of music for electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0058 Transmission between separate instruments or between individual components of a musical system G10H1/0083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/365 the accompaniment information being stored on a host computer and transmitted to a reproducing terminal by means of a network, e.g. public telephone lines
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/415 Infrared beams
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/026 File encryption of specific electrophonic music instrument file or stream formats, e.g. MIDI, note oriented formats, sound banks, wavetables digital rights management [DRM] G06F21/00; encryption H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/181 Billing, i.e. purchasing of data contents for use with electrophonic musical instruments; Protocols therefor; Management of transmission or connection time therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/191 CRC, i.e. error detection using a cyclic redundancy check
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/245 ISDN [Integrated Services Digital Network]
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/255 Optical fibre transmission for electrophonic musical instrument purposes, e.g. hum mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/261 Satellite transmission for musical instrument purposes, e.g. processing for mitigation of satellite transmission delays
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/265 CATV transmission, i.e. electrophonic musical instruments connected to community antennas or cable television networks
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/291 SCSI, i.e. Small Computer System Interface
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/295 Packet switched network, e.g. token ring circuit-switched networks, e.g. traditional analog telephone transmission G10H2240/241
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/002 Programmed access in sequence to a plurality of record carriers or indexed parts, e.g. tracks, thereof, e.g. for editing; transfer of record carriers from magazine G11B15/68, G11B17/10; G11B17/22
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 31/006 with video camera or receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/93 : Wired transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 : Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26291 : for providing content or additional data updates, e.g. updating software modules, stored at the client deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41415 : involving a public display, viewable by several users in a public space outside their home, e.g. movie theatre, information kiosk
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 : embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4185 : for payment
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 : sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 : by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/433 : Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 : End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/60 : Network structure or processes for video distribution between server and client or between remote clients; Control signalling between clients, server and network components; Transmission of management data between server and client , e.g. sending from server to client commands for recording incoming content stream; Communication details between server and client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 : Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/818 : OS software
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 : between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/164 : Coin-freed apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 : Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

Payment-based audiovisual playback system characterized by comprising a microprocessor device associated with a payment device primarily including means for storing, inter alia, in digital format the visual and sound information to be used. The system is associated through interfaces with display means and sound playback means for providing a multimedia environment. The system is controlled by a multitask operating system including a tool and service library integrated into the storage means. The system, which is also associated through an interface with a telecommunications modem, is optionally connected to an audiovisual data distribution network by a telecommunications modem and telecommunications links, said telecommunications function also being controlled by said multitask operating system.

Claims

1. Payment-triggered audiovisual reproduction system, characterized in that it is developed around a microprocessor device linked to a payment device, on the one hand comprising fundamentally storage means, for among others to store in digital form the audio and visual information to be used, and on the other hand linked, via interfaces, to display means and audio reproduction means allowing formation of a multimedia environment, the ensemble being managed by a multitask operating system including a library of tools and services integrated in the storage means.

2. Audiovisual reproduction system according to claim 1, wherein it is moreover linked via an interface to a telecommunications modem, said system then being connected to a audiovisual data distribution system by the telecommunications modem and telecommunications lines, this telecommunications function likewise being managed by the multitask operating system included in the library of tools and services integrated in the storage means.

3. Audiovisual reproduction system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein it is provided with a timer for automatic and periodic activation after a predetermined period of nonuse, this timing function being written into the storage means and managed by the multitask operating system.

4. Audiovisual reproduction system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a catalog of titles relating to available audiovisual data with the corresponding fees, selection of a title automatically entailing internal processing which totals the sums relative to a chosen title, is stored in the storage means.

5. Audiovisual reproduction system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein each choice of a title is counted for display of statistics of use, the display being triggered by fetching a predetermined function.

6. Audiovisual reproduction system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the storage means include basically a video monitor for reproduction of images of the audiovisual information and a touch screen for control and assistance on which at least four control panels can be selected, the first title selection panel proceeding to help customers find and select a desired title, a second management control panel for control of volume, basses, trebles or panoramic control on the video monitor, a third panel for scanning the title database, for private use, to allow the system manager or owner to examine the database containing the available titles via the audiovisual data distribution network to control and retrieve said titles, a fourth statistics panel, for private use, for statistical estimations and calculations relative to the titles.