Jukebox with customizable avatar

• US 20070247979A1
• Filed: 03/26/2007
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TouchTunes Music Corporation (The Octave Music Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dominique Dion, Francois Brillon, Loic Gratton
• Inventors: Dion, Dominique, Gratton, Loic, Brillon, Francois
• Granted Patent: US 7,822,687 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 369/30.60
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/305 for record players
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/025 'Virtual' control panels, e.g. Graphical User Interface [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs

Abstract

A digital downloading jukebox system including a mechanism for delivering custom services to a recognized user is provided. For example, information specific to a recognized user may be stored and optionally may include a recognized user avatar representative of the recognized user. The user avatar may be an image, video, and/or animation, which may be displayed on and/or played through the jukebox. The user avatar may be associated with transactions associated with the user. For example, an avatar may be displayed when a playlist of the recognized user is played, when a message is sent, etc. In other examples, the avatar may introduce instances of media by playing an audio and/or video message, and the avatar may sing, dance, etc. while an instance of media is playing.

Claims

1. A digital jukebox, comprising:

a collection mechanism capable of collecting an amount of money for playing an instance of media at least partially stored in a media library;

at least one output channel capable of outputting a selected instance of media, said selected instance of media being selected by a jukebox user; and

,

a user recognizer capable of recognizing a jukebox user and retrieving pre-stored information specific to said recognized user,

wherein said information specific to said recognized user optionally includes a recognized user avatar representative of said recognized user.

2. The digital jukebox of claim 1, wherein said recognized user avatar is one or more of an image, video, and animation.

3. The digital jukebox of claim 1, further comprising a display capable of displaying said recognized user avatar when a recognized user is recognized.

4. The digital jukebox of claim 3, further comprising avatar action programmed logic circuitry, said avatar action programmed logic circuitry being capable of playing one or more audio clips via the at least one output channel and/or displaying one or more video clips via the display.

5. The digital jukebox of claim 4, wherein the one or more audio clips and/or the one or more video clips are played/displayed before, during, and/or after an instance of media.

6. The digital jukebox of claim 4, wherein the avatar action programmed logic circuitry is capable of causing the recognized user avatar to react in response to the instance of media being played.

7. The digital jukebox of claim 6, wherein the recognized user avatar is capable of reacting by speaking, singing, and/or dancing.

8. A digital audio/video distribution network, comprising:

a plurality of digital jukeboxes;

a media database of instances of media playable on at least some of the plurality of digital jukeboxes; and

,

a user database of users recognizable by at least some of the plurality of digital jukeboxes, each recognizable user in the user database having associated user information, wherein the associated user information optionally includes information about a recognizable user avatar for the recognizable user,

wherein each digital jukebox in the plurality of digital jukeboxes includes a collection mechanism capable of collecting an amount of money for playing an instance of media and at least one output channel capable of outputting a selected instance of media selected by a jukebox user, and

wherein at least some of the digital jukeboxes in the plurality of digital jukeboxes includes a user recognizer capable of recognizing a jukebox user and retrieving user information associated with the recognized user from the user database.

9. The digital audio/video distribution network of claim 8, wherein said user avatar is one or more of an image, video, and animation.

10. The digital audio/video distribution network of claim 8, further comprising a user interface allowing a recognized user to upload avatar information.

11. The digital audio/video distribution network of claim 8, wherein at least some of the digital jukeboxes further comprise a display capable of displaying said user avatar when a recognized user is recognized.

12. The digital audio/video distribution network of claim 11, wherein at least some of the digital jukeboxes further comprise avatar action programmed logic circuitry, said avatar action programmed logic circuitry being capable of playing one or more audio clips via the at least one output channel and/or displaying one or more video clips via the display.

13. The digital audio/video distribution network of claim 12, wherein the one or more audio clips and/or the one or more video clips are played/displayed before, during, and/or after an instance of media.

14. The digital audio/video distribution network of claim 12, wherein the avatar action programmed logic circuitry is capable of causing the user avatar to react in response to the instance of media being played.

15. The digital audio/video distribution network of claim 14, wherein the user avatar is capable of reacting by speaking, singing, and/or dancing.

16. A remote jukebox access system, comprising:

a digital audio/video distribution network, comprising;

a plurality of digital jukeboxes;

a media database of instances of media playable on at least some of the plurality of digital jukeboxes; and

,

a user database of users recognizable by at least some of the plurality of digital jukeboxes, each recognizable user in the user database having associated user information, wherein the associated user information optionally includes information about a recognizable user avatar for the recognizable user,

wherein each digital jukebox in the plurality of digital jukeboxes includes a collection mechanism capable of collecting an amount of money for playing an instance of media and at least one output channel capable of outputting a selected instance of media selected by a jukebox user, and

wherein at least some of the digital jukeboxes in the plurality of digital jukeboxes includes a user recognizer capable of recognizing a jukebox user and retrieving user information associated with the recognized user from the user database;

a user interface remote from each of the digital jukeboxes, said user interface being capable of allowing recognized users to conduct at least some jukebox-related activities.

17. The remote jukebox access system of claim 16, wherein the jukebox-related activities include at least defining one or more playlists and paying for instances of media.

18. The remote jukebox access system of claim 16, wherein the user interface is capable of allowing recognized users to input associated user information.

19. The remote jukebox access system of claim 16, wherein actions taken by a recognized users via the user interface are designated with the avatar of the user.

20. The remote jukebox access system of claim 16, wherein changes made by the user interface propagate to at least some of the digital jukeboxes.