Intelligent digital audiovisual reproduction system

• US 20030031096A1
• Filed: 07/17/2002
• Published: 02/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1994
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TouchTunes Music Corporation (The Octave Music Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TouchTunes Music Corporation (The Octave Music Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nathan, Guy, Mastronardi, Tony
• Granted Patent: US 8,037,412 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 369/30.03
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/24 using interrupt G06F13/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/60 of audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/63 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4812 by interrupt, e.g. masked
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/027 involving a payment switch or gateway
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• 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 1/0041 in coded form
• 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 1/361 Recording/reproducing of accompaniment for use with an external source, e.g. karaoke systems
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/081 : Genre classification, i.e. descriptive metadata for classification or selection of musical pieces according to style
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/091 : Info, i.e. juxtaposition of unrelated auxiliary information or commercial messages with or between music files
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 : Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2529 : Mini-discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 : CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 : Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/913 : Digital audio tape [DAT] format
• 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 27/032 : on tapes G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 : on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• 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: H04H 20/38 : Arrangements for distribution where lower stations, e.g. receivers, interact with the broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/40 : Arrangements for broadcast specially adapted for accumulation-type receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/76 : Wired systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/79 : using downlink of the CATV systems, e.g. audio broadcast via CATV network
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/82 : using signals not modulated onto a carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/21 : Billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/23 : using cryptography, e.g. encryption, authentication, key distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/94 : Telephonic networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/84
• 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 21/25875 : involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4184 : providing storage capabilities, e.g. memory stick
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 : involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 : for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 : for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 : Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 : Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 : OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 : comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 : Handling of requests in head-ends
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 : Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 : Archiving or backup

Abstract

Audiovisual reproduction system triggered by payment from a user, developed around a microprocessor device, including memory containing audio and visual information to be used, a display and digital audio reproduction unit providing a multimedia environment, wherein the display comprises a video monitor and an interactive interface with the user by an interface program which reacts to external events and translates the external events for a multitasking operating system as events which trigger, via a graphical module of a library of integrated tools and services, a display of windows or frames providing a modification of physical operating parameters of the audiovisual reproduction system, the external events including at least a down event interpreting coincidence of a placement of pointing device with the position of at least a representation displayed by the graphic module, and an event which triggers modification of the physical operating parameters by storing these parameters in the memory.

Claims

1. Payment-based audiovisual reproduction system, developed around a microprocessor device linked to a payment device, on the one hand comprising fundamentally mass storage means, for among others storage, in compressed digital form, of the audio and visual information to be used, and on the other hand linked, via interfaces, to digital display means and digital audio reproduction means allowing formation of a multimedia environment, characterized in that the digital display means and the video monitor are linked to a touch screen linked to an interface program which reacts to external events and translates them for the graphics operating system as mouse events which trigger via a library of integrated tools and services either modification of the progression of one of the program modules of the man/machine interface or modification of the physical operating parameters of the jukebox.

2. Intelligent digital audiovisual reproduction system according to claim 1, wherein the library of tools and services includes a plurality of graphics display modules which comprise using the touch screen interface a plurality of control panels, among them a first title selection panel proceeding to assist in search and selection of a desired title, a second control panel for managing the physical parameters of the jukebox, a third panel for scanning the title database, for private use, to allow exploration of the database containing the available titles and control of a selection of these titles via the audiovisual data distribution network, a fourth statistics panel, for private use, for statistical estimations and calculations relative to the titles.

3. Intelligent digital audiovisual reproduction system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a management mode module allows recording of the operating parameters of the system in a file stored in the hard disk in a machine format which cannot be read by the user, the data backed up on the disk being reread each time the system is activated.

4. Intelligent digital audiovisual reproduction system according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the system operating parameters file makes it possible to fix the price of a title or number of titles for a predetermined value, the inactivity delay before starting the visual promotional mode, the inactivity delay before starting an auxiliary source such as a radio for example, the inactivity delay before starting the selection sampling mode, the location determined in seconds from the beginning where the system will be able to start sampling a selection, and the duration in seconds of the sample.

5. Intelligent digital audiovisual reproduction system according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a system control module (CM) includes a graphics display module in which a set of cursors is represented in a window, each of the cursors being linked to one of the parameters of a controlled physical function, the touch screen interface module linked to this graphics module interpreting the coincidence of the placement of the finger on the touch screen with the position of cursor display as a down event, movement of the finger on the touch screen as mouse drag and lifting of the finger from the touch screen as an up for the operating software, the last position of the cursor moved during the drag event being stored by the system and used by it to control the corresponding physical parameter.

6. Intelligent digital audiovisual reproduction system according, to claim 5, wherein a first cursor is linked to the master volume level;

a second cursor is linked to the jukebox volume level;

a third cursor is linked to the microphone volume level;

a fourth cursor is linked to the volume level of an auxiliary input (tuner function, radio);

a fifth cursor is linked to the base control level;

a sixth cursor is linked to the treble control level;

a seventh cursor is linked to balance control.

7. Intelligent digital audiovisual reproduction system according to one of the claims 1 to 6, wherein the tool library includes a first database of titles available on the jukebox and a second database of titles available for control by the jukebox manager, the database being selected when the external events recorded by the interface module linked to the graphics module used coincide.

8. Intelligent digital audiovisual reproduction system according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a customer browsing and selection mode graphics module allows selection among available titles on the database those corresponding to a specific type of music by display of a window comprising a plurality of buttons.

9. Intelligent digital audiovisual reproduction system according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the ensemble is managed by a multitask operating system with a kernel which links to each of the peripheral means a task and assigning the highest priority to the display task and level two priority to the audio task, at least one temporary storage buffer (66, 67 or 56, 57) of the data to be decompressed being linked to respective display (6) and audio reproduction (5) means to allow processing of the data transferred to one of the means during processing of a transfer to another means by the operating system and a scheduling module of the operating system linking a status buffer positioned at a value indicative of the task activity when one of the temporary buffers contains data.

10. Intelligent digital audiovisual reproduction system according to one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the system is linked via interface (158) to telecommunications modem (4, 41), said system then being connected to an 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 with third level priority and linking to this telecommunications task temporary buffer (26) for storage of data to be transferred and buffer (841) for indicating the status of this task.

11. Intelligent audiovisual reproduction system according to one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the operating system includes priority resolution module (11) which, depending on the priorities assigned to the declared active tasks, will acknowledge reception of the request for a task or will respond with a busy signal, and scheduling module (12) which depending on the declared active tasks and the availability of sufficient hardware resources fills a storage request queue.

12. Audiovisual reproduction system according to one of claims 1 to 11, wherein temporary buffer (36) for storage of data from a man/machine interface and buffer (831) which indicates the status of this task of the man/machine interface are linked to interface task (73) such as selection of zones on a touch screen, each zone corresponding to a choice among the data displayed on the display means.