Digital downloading jukebox system with central and local music servers

• US 20060018208A1
• Filed: 07/21/2005
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2002
• 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, Dion, Dominique
• Granted Patent: US 8,103,589 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 369/30.60
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/30 for musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/305 for record players
• 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 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• 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

Abstract

A digital downloading jukebox system including a central server and a plurality of remote jukebox devices each provided with a local server that preferably mirrors the central server and enables selected songs to be immediately downloaded to the jukebox for reproduction. The local server and jukebox may also provide, through control of the central server, song download services to other jukebox devices. The jukebox system may also act as a monitoring/management device for other coin operated equipment present in a location where the jukebox is located, thereby enabling the jukebox device to perform updates on other equipment under control of the central server.

Claims

1. A jukebox comprising:

instances of media available for output;

a plurality of output channels, wherein a first output channel and at least a second output channel different from the first output channel are capable of simultaneously outputting different instances of media; and

a user interface, wherein the user interface allows a user to select one or more of the plurality of output channels for output of a specific instance of media.

2. The jukebox of claim 1, further comprising:

a collection mechanism, wherein a fixed amount of money is collected for playing certain preselected instances of media.

3. The jukebox of claim 2, further comprising:

a plurality of output devices operably connected to the plurality of output channels.

4. The jukebox of claim 2, wherein the user interface further allows a user to select one or more first output channels for the output of a specific instance of media and at least one or more second output channels different from the one or more first output channels for output of at least a second instance of media different from the first instance of media.

5. The jukebox of claim 4, wherein the collection mechanism further collects some additional amount of money greater than the fixed amount of money if a user selects more than one of the output channels for output of an instance of media.

6. The jukebox of claim 4, further comprising a memory storing a plurality of queues of instances of media for each of the plurality of output channels.

7. The jukebox of claim 6, wherein the each of the plurality of queues further comprise:

a non-priority queue, wherein a list of instances of media selected by one or more users for play on the output channel corresponding to the plurality of queues is ordered in the temporal order that the instances of media were selected by the one or more users; and

a priority queue, wherein a list of instances of media selected by one or more users for play on the output channel corresponding to the plurality of queues is prioritized based on a prioritization algorithm.

8. The jukebox of claim 7, wherein the prioritization algorithm determines list prioritization order based on the amount collected by the collection mechanism from a user for output of a specific instance of media, whereby an instance of media for which a greater amount was collected by the collection mechanism is given priority in the list over an instance of media for which a lesser amount was collected by the collection mechanism.

9. The jukebox of claim 7, wherein the user interface shows the amount collected by the collection mechanism for each instance of media in the priority queue corresponding to one of the plurality of outputs.

10. The jukebox of claim 7, wherein the prioritization algorithms of more than one of the plurality of priority queues corresponding to more than one of the plurality of the output channels will assign a same priority position in the respective lists to a specific instance of media selected for output on the more than one of the plurality of output channels to guarantee simultaneous play on the more than one of the plurality of output channels.

11. The jukebox of claim 10, wherein the collection mechanism collects an additional amount from the user for guaranteeing simultaneous play.

12. The jukebox of claim 1, wherein the user interface further comprises:

a main user interface provided at a first location (area) in an establishment; and

one or more additional secondary user interfaces different from the main user interface and provided at second locations (area) in an establishment different from the first location.

13. The jukebox of claim 12, wherein the second user interfaces comprise graphical user interfaces provided on machines operable for at least a second purpose different from providing a graphical user interface.

14. The jukebox of claim 1, wherein the output of one or more of the plurality of output channels can be limited to the output of a subset of the available instances of media.

15. The jukebox of claim 3, wherein the output level of one or more of the output devices can be limited to a specific maximum and/or minimum.

16. The jukebox of claim 12, wherein the main user interface and the secondary user interfaces further comprise graphical user interfaces.

17. The jukebox of claim 16, wherein the graphical user interfaces are capable of changing to display at least one of a different graphic, advertisement, or available list of instances of media based on the occurrence of a predetermined event.

18. The jukebox of claim 17 wherein the predetermined event comprises the occurrence of at least one of an operator specified date, time, or day of the week.

32. The jukebox of claim 1, wherein the user interface allows the user to search for media using a personal music assistant, comprising:

a data entry mechanism, to collect profiling information about the user;

a comparator, to compare the entered profiling information to other profiles and to recommended media to the user;

a display, to output the list of recommended songs; and

a selector, for specifying which instance of media should be played.

33. The personal music assistant of claim 32, wherein the data entry mechanism comprises a keyboard.

34. The personal music assistant of claim 32, wherein the data entry mechanism comprises a credit card.

35. The personal music assistant of claim 32, wherein the data entry mechanism comprises a pre-programmed media card or wand.

36. The jukebox of claim 1, wherein the user interface allows the user to search for media from on a list of popular media compiled based on media selection habits of jukeboxes within a pre-defined geographic area.

37. The jukebox of claim 17, wherein the predetermined event comprises the identification of a preferred user of the jukebox.

19. A method of outputting a user selectable instance of media in one or more user selectable areas of an establishment, comprising:

providing a jukebox with a user interface which allows a user to select an instance of media for output;

allowing the user to select one or more areas of an establishment for output of the selected instance of media;

determining a price for the selected instance of media and the selected areas of the establishment;

collecting an amount from the user equal to the determined price; and

queuing the selected instance of media for output in one or more queues assigned to the one or more selected areas of the establishment.

40. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of selecting instances of media further comprises:

entering identifying data to build a profile for the user;

comparing the entered profiling information to other profiles;

recommending a narrow list of media to the user; and

specifying which instance of the media should be played.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the user is identified by swiping a credit card.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein the user is identified by waving a pre-programmed card or wand by a receiver connected to the jukebox.

43. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of selecting instances of media further comprises a choice of media from a list of popular media compiled based on media selection habits of jukeboxes within a pre-defined geographic area.

20. A method of prioritizing output of a user selected instance of media in one or more user selectable areas of an establishment, comprising:

providing a jukebox with a user interface which allows a user to select an instance of media for output;

allowing the user to select a prioritization option for output of the selected instance of media;

allowing the user to select one or more areas of the establishment in which the output of the selected instance of media is to be prioritized;

determining a price for the play and prioritization of the selected instance of media in the selected areas of the establishment;

collecting an amount from the user equal to the determined price; and

placing the selected instance of media in a position in one or more priority queues assigned to the one or more selected area of the establishment.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the position in the one or more priority queues is based on the amount collected from the user, whereby collection of an greater amount from the user results in a position of priority greater than the position of priority assigned to a selected instance of media for which a lesser amount was collected.

22. A method of providing priority and non-priority output of user selected instances of media in a plurality of areas in an establishment, wherein a single jukebox is used for output of all instances of media, wherein the jukebox is capable of simultaneous output of a plurality of different instances of media, comprising:

storing, in a memory, a non-priority queue of instances of media selected for output, wherein the instances of media are ordered according to the order in which they were selected for output; and

storing, in a memory, a priority queue of instances of media selected for output before the instances of media stored in the non-priority queue, wherein the instances of media are ordered according to a prioritization algorithm.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the prioritization algorithm determines queue prioritization order based on an amount collected by a collection mechanism from a user for output of a specific instance of media, whereby an instance of media for which a greater amount was collected by the collection mechanism is given priority in the queue over an instance of media for which a lesser amount was collected by the collection mechanism.

24. A jukebox comprising:

a mass storage media, wherein the mass storage media is pre-defined to comprise at least a predetermined set of instances of media and software for operation of the jukebox, wherein the software for the operation of the jukebox further comprises;

software which selects a first subset of the predetermined set of the instances of media;

software which assigns a basic status to the selected first subset;

software which selects a second subset of the predetermined set of the instances of media different from the first subset, whereby the selection of the second subset can comprise a selection of all predetermined instances of media not selected for the first subset; and

software which assigns an enhanced status different from the basic status to the selected subset.

25. The jukebox of claim 24, wherein the software for the operation of the jukebox further comprises:

software which assigns a first fixed price to the instances of media having a basic status;

software which assigns a second fixed price, different from and higher than the first fixed price, to the instances of media having an enhanced status.

26. The jukebox of claim 24, wherein the software for the operation of the jukebox further comprises:

software which prevents the play of songs not having one of a basic status or an enhanced status.

27. The jukebox of claim 24, wherein the software for the operation of the jukebox further comprises:

software allowing for a new selection of a first subset of the preselected instances of media to which a basic status is to be assigned and selection of a second subset of the preselected instances of media, different from the first subset, to which an enhanced statuts is to be assigned.

28. The jukebox of claim 24 wherein the storage media further comprises an amount of blank space.

29. A method of morphing a jukebox, wherein the jukebox comprises a set of instances of media and a graphical user interface displaying at least one of:

a first list of instances of media selectable by a user for output at a normal fee, a second list of instances of media, different from the first list, selectable by a user for output at an enhanced fee higher than the normal fee, one or more advertisements, or one or more graphics different from the lists of instances of media or the one or more advertisements, comprising;

defining an event to trigger the morphing of the jukebox;

operating the jukebox;

checking to see if the event to trigger the morphing of the jukebox occurs or has occurred; and

changing, to a different graphic, at least one of the displayed;

first list of instances of media selectable by a user for output at a normal fee, second list of instances of media, different from the first list, selectable by a user for output at an enhanced fee, higher than the normal fee, one or more advertisements, or one or more graphics different from the lists of instances of media or the one or more advertisements, if the event to trigger the morphing of the jukebox occurs or has occurred.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the changing to a different graphic further comprises changing to graphics that match a certain criteria, whereby the criteria is set based on the event which was defined to trigger the morphing of the jukebox.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the changing, to a different graphic the first list of instances of media selectable by the user and the second list of instances of media selectable by the user futher comprises:

displaying a new first list of instances of media selectable by the user, wherein the contents of the new first list are determined based on a certain crieteria, whereby the criteria is set based on the event which was defined to trigger the morphing of the jukebox; and

displaying a new second list of instances of media selectable by the user, different from the new first list, wherein the contents of the new second list are determined based on a certain criteria, whereby the criteria is set based on the event which was defined to trigger the morphing of the jukebox, and wherein the new second list may not contain all remaining instances of media, from the set of instances of media, which are not contained in the new first list.

38. The method of claim 29, wherein the triggering event comprises a specified date, time, or day of the week.

39. The method of claim 29, wherein the triggering event comprises the recognition of a preferred user.