Jukebox polling system

• US 4,232,295 A
• Filed: 04/13/1979
• Issued: 11/04/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Data Information Systems Limited
• Original Assignee: Data Information Systems Limited
• Inventors: McConnell, George B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitts, Harold I.
• Application Number:
  US06/030,055
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• Field of Search: 340/152 R, 340/151, 340/162
• US Class Current: 379/93.12
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 13/00 Voting apparatus
• 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: H04M 11/002 with telemetering systems telemetering in general G08C

Abstract

A data acquisition and transmission system for surveying a plurality of remotely location jukeboxes via telephone lines. A data collector, operatively associated with each jukebox, includes a song identification arrangement and storage memory for determining the number of times a particular song is played over a given period of time. At regular intervals, a central station contacts each data collector via telephone and requests the stored information which is subsequently transmitted via telephone lines to a central computer which tabulates and stores the information. The collected data is then processed to provide a distribution scale useful in determining the proper allocation of royalty fees received from jukebox licensing fees.

Claims

1. A data acquisition and transmission system for monitoring a plurality of remotely located check-controlled song reproduction devices each device including means for identifying a song position, said system comprising:

a song collector and transmitter unit physically connected to a song reproduction device so as to receive signals identifying a record position selected;

said unit being capable of interpreting signals received from said song reproduction device so as to count all occurrences of all record positions selected;

said unit including means to memorize the identification signal for each record position;

said means capable of storing the number of times each record position is selected over a period of times;

said unit including a transmitting means capable of transmitting stored information to a collector/scanner.

2. A data acquisition and transmission system as recited in claim 1 wherein said collector/scanner include:

an automatic polling means for contacting each of said units being physically connected to a remotely located check-controlled song reproduction device;

a memory means for storing information retrieved from each of said units; and

a means for compiling the stored information received so as to produce a record identifying the names of each song and the number of times each song has been played during a specific period of time.

3. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said unit includes a backup power supply capable of operating said unit.

4. Said system as recited in claim 2 wherein said collector/scanner communicates with each of said units utilizing a single multiplex telephone line.

5. The system as recited in claim 2 and 4 wherein said collector/scanner includes an automatic dialer for automatically polling each of said units.

6. A data acquisition and transmission system for monitoring a plurality of remotely located check-controlled song reproduction devices, said system comprising:

(1) a data collector operatively associated with each of said song reproduction devices for receiving a data stream indicative of the identity of a song selected, said collector including;

(a) a data stream conversion means for converting said data stream to a binary number representative of a song selected;

(b) a storage means for storing each binary number produced by said conversion means to provide a tally of the number of times each song has been selected;

(2) a communications link;

(3) a transmitting unit capable of connecting each data collector to said communications link;

(4) message generating means for presenting data extracted from said memory to said transmitting unit;

(5) a central station;

(6) a receiving unit for connecting said central station to said communications link for transferring signals from said link to said central station; and

(7) a controller for establishing a connection between said receiving units and any of said transmitting units over said communications link.