Apparatus and method for interactive content requests in a networked computer jukebox

• US 20060018209A1
• Filed: 07/21/2005
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DOOH IP LLC, Samuel B. Howard
• Original Assignee: Akoo International Incorporated
• Inventors: Karantonis, John, Drakoulis, Niko, Stoikos, Georgios
• Granted Patent: US 7,647,613 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 369/30.280
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• 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: H04N 21/2225 Local VOD servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• 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 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application

Abstract

A remote user interface transmits a digital media request through a communication link to a control which is coupled to a digital audio-visual playback device for selecting and playing a stored digital media by the playback device. The control receives the digital media request and transmits digital media selection and/or the selected digital media content directly to a selected playback device or indirectly to the selected playback device through a playback device server. The communication between the control and the playback device can be through a global communication network.

Claims

1. A method for content selection in a digital audio-visual playback device comprising the steps of:

storing digital media in a memory;

generating a digital media content request from a user interface remote from a digital audio-visual playback device identifying a digital audio-visual playback device and a selected stored digital media for play by the identified digital audio-visual playback device;

transmitting the digital media content request through a communication link to a control; and

transmitting the identified digital media by the control to the digital audio-visual playback device for play of the identified digital media by the digital audio-visual playback device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of transmitting the digital media content request through the communication link further comprises:

forming the communication link to include at least a wireless communication portion.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of transmitting the digital media content request through the communication link further comprises:

forming at least a portion of the communication link to include the Internet.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of transmitting the identified digital media content request comprises the step of:

communicating the digital media content to a digital audio-visual playback device.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of communicating the identified digital media to the digital audio-visual playback device further comprises the step of:

transmitting the identified digital media over the Internet to the digital audio-visual playback device.

4. The method of claim I further comprising the steps of:

generating by the control identified digital media content request signals from a digital media content request to access the identified digital media content in the memory.

7. An apparatus for content selection in a digital audio-visual playback device comprising:

means for storing digital media in a memory;

means for generating a digital media content request from a user interface remote from a digital audio-visual playback device identifying a digital audio-visual playback device and a selected stored digital media for play by the identified digital audio-visual playback device;

means for transmitting the digital media content request through a communication link to a control; and

means for transmitting the identified digital media from the control to the digital audio-visual playback device for play of the identified digital media by the digital audio-visual playback device.

8. An apparatus for digital media content selection comprising:

a digital audio-visual playback device capable of playing digital audio-visual media;

a user interface, remote from the digital audio-visual playback device, the user interface transmitting a digital media request identifying a digital audio-visual media content for play by the digital audio-visual playback device;

discrete digital media stored in a memory;

a communication interface coupling the user interface and a control;

the control coupled in data communication with the digital audio-visual playback device and selecting a digital media content from the memory; and

a transmission link coupling the control and the digital audio-visual playback device for transmitting the selected digital audio-visual media content to the digital audio-visual playback device.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein:

the control coupled to the communication link and the transmission link.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the control comprises:

a jukebox server coupled to the transmission link.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein:

at least a portion of the communication link includes a wireless carrier network.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the transmission link comprises, at least in part:

at least one of the Internet and a wireless communication protocol.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising:

billing means, operative by the control, for billing a user for a digital media request.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising:

means, communicating with the user interface means, for providing the user with a means for selecting the location of one specific digital audio-visual playback device.

15. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the user interface communication link and the control are adapted for SMS communication.

16. In a digital audio-visual media playback apparatus including a digital audio-visual playback device capable of generating audio-visual media from a memory store of discrete digital media, the improvement comprising:

a user interface, remote from the digital audio-visual playback device, the user interface transmitting a digital media request identifying a digital audio-visual media content for play by the digital audio-visual playback device;

a communication interface coupling the user interface and a control;

the control coupled in data communication with the digital audio-visual playback device and selecting a digital media content from the memory.