DISTRIBUTION OF MUSIC BETWEEN MEMBERS OF A CLUSTER OF MOBILE AUDIO DEVICES AND A WIDE AREA NETWORK

• US 20070155312A1
• Filed: 12/04/2006
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tunnel IP LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Syncronation, Inc.
• Inventors: Goldberg, Benjamin, Goldberg, David, Goldberg, Miriam, Goldberg, Martha
• Granted Patent: US 7,835,689 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/3.60
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0025 Automatic or semi-automatic music composition, e.g. producing random music, applying rules from music theory or modifying a musical piece automatically producing a series of tones G10H1/26
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0083 using wireless transmission, e.g. radio, light, infrared
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/40 Rhythm
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/076 for extraction of timing, tempo; Beat detection
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/175 for jam sessions or musical collaboration through a network, e.g. for composition, ensemble playing or repeating; Compensation of network or internet delays therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/251 Mobile telephone transmission, i.e. transmitting, accessing or controlling music data wirelessly via a wireless or mobile telephone receiver, analogue or digital, e.g. DECT, GSM, UMTS
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/305 Internet or TCP/IP protocol use for any electrophonic musical instrument data or musical parameter transmission purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/325 Synchronizing two or more audio tracks or files according to musical features or musical timings
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/58 of audio determination or detection of speech characteristics in general G10L25/00; speech recognition in general G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones

Abstract

A system and apparatus for identifying a first mobile device that introduces a music selection to a second mobile device. In one aspect, the first device transmits a music signal to a second device. The music signal comprises a music selection, a music identifier and an identifier of the first device. The second device is enabled to store the identifier of the first device and the music identifier in association with each other. In another aspect, a computerized database is disclosed for the purposes of transacting with the second device, wherein transacting may include storing the music identifier, the first user identifier and the second user identifier in the database, providing a requested music selection to the first user, registering the first user as a broadcaster, awarding points for purchasers of the music selection broadcast by the first user, or storing and providing ratings of devices of a cluster.

Claims

1. A system for identifying a first mobile device that introduces a music selection to a second mobile device, comprising:

a music transmitter operated by the first device;

a music receiver operated by the second device receptive of the music transmitted by the first device;

a music signal comprising the music selection transmitted by the transmitter and received by the receiver, wherein the music selection is introduced to the user of the second device;

a musical identifier that is associated with the transmitted music selection and is transmitted with the transmitted music selection; and

an individual identifier that identifies the first device and is transmitted with the transmitted music selection;

wherein the individual identifier and the music identifier are stored in association with each other on the second device.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising an infrastructure connection for obtaining the music on the second device from a distributor on a wide area network.

3. The system of claim 1, the receiver further comprising a switch wherein actuation of the switch causes the device to toggle between peer-to-peer communications and infrastructure-based communications.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the individual identifier comprises one or more of an email address of a user associated with the transmitting device, a nickname of the user, a name of the user or the machine identifier.

5. An audio device enabled to transfer and receive audio signals and associated identifiers, comprising:

a transmitter/receiver for transmitting audio signals to a receiving device and receiving audio signals from a transmitting device, wherein the audio signals comprise a music selection, a music identifier that identifies the audio signal,

and an individual identifier that identifies a characteristic of the transmitting device;

a player for playing the received audio signals, the player further comprising audio storage for storing audio signals received by the transmitter/receiver;

a unit controller for preparing the audio signal from the storage for transmission to the receiving device and for preparing received audio signals to be played on the player; and

a database interconnected with the unit controller for storing the received music identifier in association with the identifier of the transmitting device,

wherein the database enables the receiving device to identify the transmitting device.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the transmitter/receiver receives the audio signal on a UDP socket.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the transmitter/receiver receives the music identifier and the individual identifier on a TCP socket.

8. The device of claim 5, wherein the transmitter/receiver receives streamed music.

9. The device of claim 5, wherein the transmitter/receiver receives a file transfer comprising the audio signal.

10. The device of claim 5 wherein the transmitter/receiver operates in peer-to-peer mode.

11. The device of claim 5, wherein the individual identifier comprises one or more of an email address of a user of the device, a nickname of the user, or a machine identifier of the transmitting device.

12. The device of claim 5 further comprising a connector for connection with a distributor over a wide area network.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein a file comprising the music selection is downloaded from the distributor.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the individual identifier is transferred to the distributor in association with the music identifier.

15. The device of claim 12, further comprising a second individual identifier for identifying the user of the audio device, wherein the second individual identifier is transferred to the distributor in association with the individual identifier.

16. The device of claim 12, wherein the connector connects to the wide area network with a wired connection.

17. The device of claim 12, wherein the connector connects to the wide area network with a wireless connection.

18. The device of claim 5, wherein the device comprises a telephone.

19. The device of claim 5, further comprising a delay for delaying the playing of the music selection so that playing the music selection on the audio device is synchronous with playing of the music selection on the broadcasting audio device.

20. The device of claim 5, wherein the audio device is mobile.

21. A computerized database for identifying a broadcasting device that transferred a music selection to a receiving device, the database configured to:

receive from the receiving device a music identifier, the music identifier associated with a music selection transmitted from the broadcasting device to the receiving device, a first user identifier that identifies the user of the receiving device, and a second user identifier that identifies the user of the broadcasting device;

transact with the receiving device for the purposes of performing at least one action selected from the group of;

associating and storing the music identifier, the received first user identifier and the received second user identifier in the database;

providing a requested music selection to the first user;

registering the first user as a broadcaster in the event that the first user transmits the purchased music selection to another user; and

awarding points for any additional purchasers that identify the first user as the broadcaster of the music selection.

22. The database of claim 21, wherein the database is hosted on an Internet computer.

23. The database of claim 22, wherein the database further comprises user ratings of audio players that are members of a cluster of audio players.

24. A mobile wireless audio player, comprising:

a unit integrated with the mobile wireless audio player that allows the user to decide whether to share music with a second player, the unit further comprising;

a receiver for receiving a unique identifier from the second player;

an Internet connector for connecting with a database hosted on the Internet, wherein the database includes information associated with the unique identifier;

a means for accessing from the database ratings associated with the unique identifier;

a means for determining whether to share music on the basis of the access ratings; and

a transmitter for transmitting the music to the second player.

25. A first mobile music player for introducing a user of a second mobile music player to a music selection, comprising:

a personal identifier of a user of the player;

storage for storing the music selection and a music identifier of the music selection;

an audio output for outputting the stored music selection to the user of the player;

a transmitter for transmitting the stored music selection, the stored music identifier and the personal identifier;

wherein the music selection is introduced to the user of the second music player by playing on the audio output of the second music player, and the personal identifier is stored on the second music player in association with the music selection and the music identifier.

26. The player of claim 25, wherein the transmission is delayed from outputting, wherein the audio output plays the music selection synchronously with the audio output of the second music player.

27. The player of claim 25, wherein the transmitter further transmits a user identifier for identifying the user of the music player.

28. The player of claim 27, wherein the user identifier is obtained from the distributor through the receiver.

29. The player of claim 27, further comprising a receiver for receiving the music selection from a music distributor on the Internet.

30. A music distribution system for identifying a broadcasting device that has transferred a music selection to a receiving device, comprising:

a receiver that receives from the receiving device a music identifier, the music identifier associated with a music selection transmitted from the broadcasting device to the receiving device, a first user identifier that identifies the user of the receiving device, and a second user identifier that identifies the user of the broadcasting device;

a database that stores the received music identifier, the first user identifier, and the second user identifier in association with one another;

a means for transaction with the receiving device, wherein the means for transaction provides the requested music selection associated with the music identifier to the receiving device associated with the first user identifier and provides redeemable points to the associated second user identifier.

31. A system for distributing an audio selection over the Internet, comprising:

a distributor providing the audio selection to an audio device;

the audio device broadcasting to a cluster of devices enabled to receive the provided audio selection;

one or more cluster members listening to the broadcasted audio selection;

a cluster member identifier associated with the cluster member device;

an audio selection identifier associated with the audio selection;

a broadcaster identifier associated with the broadcasting audio device that is broadcast from the broadcaster to the cluster member along with the audio selection that identifies the broadcaster; and

a request made by the cluster member to the distributor requesting the audio selection, wherein the request comprises the broadcaster identifier and at least one of the audio selection identifier and the cluster member identifier;

wherein the distributor provides the audio selection to the cluster member and stores the broadcaster identifier along with at least one of the audio selection identifier and the cluster member identifier.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the broadcaster identifier comprises a machine identifier of the device over which the broadcaster is broadcasting.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the broadcaster identifier identifies the user of the broadcasting mobile audio device.

34. A rating system for determining the rating of a user requesting membership in a music sharing cluster, comprising:

a database for storing ratings in association with a predetermined user identifier, wherein the ratings are entered by one or more members of a music sharing cluster;

a computer on which the database is hosted on the Internet; and

an audio player connected to the music sharing cluster that connects to the computer over the Internet and queries the database for ratings;

wherein the ratings are used to determine whether to allow the user to join in the music sharing cluster.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the ratings are displayed on the audio player.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein the audio player is mobile.