MUSIC DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS

• US 20070276740A1
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ochoa Optics LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Ochoa Optics LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Sparks, Kelly, Ballou, Bernard, Hebrank, John, Hunter, Charles
• Application Number:
  US11/469,236
• Publication Number:
  US 20070276740A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• 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: G11B 2220/2529 Mini-discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/41 Flat as opposed to hierarchical combination, e.g. library of tapes or discs, CD changer, or groups of record carriers that together store one title
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/40 Arrangements for broadcast specially adapted for accumulation-type receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/74 of satellite networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/06 Arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/11 Arrangements for counter-measures when a portion of broadcast information is unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/17 on recording information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/21 Billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/22 : per use
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/23 : using cryptography, e.g. encryption, authentication, key distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 : Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 : for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 : for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/66 : for using the result on distributors' side
• 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 21/262 : Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 : Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 : involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/63345 : by transmitting keys key distribution for secret or secure communication H04L9/08; network support of key management H04L63/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8106 : involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 : involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 : Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

Music is blanket transmitted (for example, via satellite downlink transmission) to each customer'"'"'s user station where selected music files are recorded. Customers preselect from a list of available music in advance using an interactive screen selector, and pay only for music that they choose to playback for their enjoyment. An antipiracy “ID tag” is woven into the recorded music so that any illegal copies therefrom may be traced to the purchase transaction. Music is transmitted on a fixed schedule or through an active scheduling process that monitors music requests from all or a subset of satellite receivers and adjust scheduling according to demand for various CD'"'"'s. Receivers store selections that are likely to be preferred by a specific customer. In those instances where weather conditions, motion of atmospheric layers or dish obstructions result in data loss, the system downloads the next transmission of the requested CD and uses both transmissions to produce a “good copy”. In conjunction with the blanket transmission of more popular music, an automated CD manufacturing facility may be provided to manufacture CD'"'"'s that are not frequently requested and distribute them by ground transportation.

Claims

1. A system for distributing music to customer households, comprising:

a data transmission system blanket transmitting a plurality of music selections to customer households in digital form;

a user station at each of a plurality of customer households, the user station including;

means permitting the customer household to preselect desired transmitted music selections for recording;

a receiver and associated high capacity storage medium for recording preselected music selections in digital form;

an audio output for outputting audio signals from the storage medium to a playback device so that the customer household may playback those recorded music selections it wishes to enjoy;

a central controller system having a database for storing therein an address corresponding to each customer household;

a communications link between each customer household and the central controller system to verify to the controller system when a preselected music selection has been made available for playback; and

a billing system associated with the central controller system to bill customer households for music selections that are made available for playback.

2. (canceled)

3. A system for distributing music to customer households comprising:

a data transmission system blanket transmitting a plurality of music selections to

customer households in digital form;

a user station at each of a plurality of customer households, the user station including;

means for said customer household preselection of desired transmitted music selections for recording;

means for informing said customer household that a music selection is available for purchase from said system for distributing music when said music selection is about to be made at a peer to peer music sharing system used by said customer household;

means for ordering said music selection from said peer-to-peer music sharing system for distribution to said customer household by said system for distributing music;

a receiver and associated high capacity storage medium for recording preselected music selections in digital form;

an audio output for outputting audio signals from the storage medium to a playback device so that the customer household may playback those recorded music selections it wishes to enjoy;

a central controller system having a database for storing therein an address corresponding to each customer household;

a communications link between each customer household and the central controller system to verify to the controller system when a preselected music selection has been made available for playback; and

a billing system associated with the central controller system comprising;

means for billing customer households for music selections that are made available for playback; and

means for payment to an operator of said peer-to-peer music sharing system for advertising and making music available for purchase.

4. The system of claim 3 for distributing music wherein said means for ordering comprises:

means for communication of an order for said music selection to said central controller;

means for transferring copies of records of said order to a transmission scheduler;

means for communication of schedules from said transmission scheduler to a satellite uplink facility for transmission of said order;

means for transmitting said order to said customer household.

5. The order communication means of claim 4 for distributing music wherein said communication means occurs over phone modem.

6. The order communication means of claim 4 for distributing music wherein said communication means occurs over cable modem.

7. The order communication means of claim 4 for distributing music wherein said communication means occurs over an internet connection.

8. The transmission means of claim 4 for distributing music wherein said transmission means occurs over the KU satellite band.

9. The transmission means of claim 4 for distributing music wherein said transmission means occurs over frequencies outside of the KU satellite band.

10. The transmission means of claim 4 for distributing music wherein said transmission means comprises a real time, music playback transmission speed.

11. The transmission means of claim 4 for distributing music wherein said transmission means comprises a compressed transmission speed.

12. The compressed transmission speed of claim 11 wherein said compressed transmission speed has a compression ratio of at least 60 to 1.

13. The order communication means of claim 7 wherein a client of said communication means is a home personal computer

14. The order communication means of claim 7 wherein a client of said communication means is a cell phone.

15. The order communication means of claim 7 wherein a client of said communication means is a Personal Data Assistant wireless device.

16. The order communication means of claim 14 wherein a wireless application protocol is used.

17. The order communication means of any of claim 15 wherein a wireless application protocol is used.

18. In a system for distributing music to customer households, said system comprising:

means for said system preselection of desired transmitted music selections for recording.