Music organizer and entertainment center

• US 6,232,539 B1
• Filed: 10/18/1999
• Issued: 05/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MOAEC Technologies LLC (General Patent Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Looney Productions LLC
• Inventors: Looney, Brian M., McMullin, Dale R., Pasciuto, Joseph, Doyle, Edward T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Witkowski, Stanley J.
• Application Number:
  US09/419,559
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 846/01, 846/02, 846/09--14, 846/33--40, 844/77.R, 844/78, 84D/IG.6, 434/307.R, 434/307.A, 380/19-21, 380/23-25, 380/30, 380/49, 380/50, 380/53, 380/269, 705/52, 705/57
• US Class Current: 84/609
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0041 in coded form
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/026 File encryption of specific electrophonic music instrument file or stream formats, e.g. MIDI, note oriented formats, sound banks, wavetables digital rights management [DRM] G06F21/00; encryption H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/066 MPEG audio-visual compression file formats, e.g. MPEG-4 for coding of audio-visual objects MP3 G10H2240/061
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/131 Library retrieval, i.e. searching a database or selecting a specific musical piece, segment, pattern, rule or parameter set
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/305 Internet or TCP/IP protocol use for any electrophonic musical instrument data or musical parameter transmission purposes

Abstract

A music organizer and entertainment center provides a center having a microprocessor, sound card functions and high-volume data storage and retrieval units for playing back music according to a variety of predetermined categories. Music can be played back in random form or can be played back according to a particular pre-selected order. The categories are provided by service provider who delivers selected titles and/or songs to the end user. The songs are typically loaded using a custom CD-ROM provided from the service provider. The music is provided in data-compressed form and is decompressed and processed through a sound card during playback. The categories can include a variety of parameters such as title, artists, date, speed, dance characteristics, subjective energy level and music style, such as easy-listening, upbeat, etc.

Claims

1. A music organizer and entertainment center comprising:

a storage device for storing compressed data defining a plurality of individual music selections and associated category flags;

a processor that retrieves selections and the associated category flags from the storage device based upon user selection of predetermined of the categories;

a data decompressor that translates the compressed data into playable digital music data;

a network interface for receiving the compressed data from a remote source over a network for download into the storage device; and

a graphical user interface display having a plurality of selectable screens, at least one of the selectable screens including a plurality of category buttons constructed and arranged so that when a predetermined of the category buttons is activated, music selections having category flags matching the predetermined category of a respective of the buttons are selected and listed on the display.

2. The center as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a data reading device that transfers data to the data storage device, the data reading device receiving data from a service provider that appends predetermined associated category flags to each of the plurality of individual music selections as originally prepared by the service provider.

3. The center as set forth in claim 2 wherein the data reading device comprises an optical disc reader that reads an optical disc of individual music selections prepared by the service provider.

4. The center as set forth in claim 3 wherein the storage device includes a file having all individual music selections available from the service provider, constructed and arranged so that a user can identify each of the individual music selections whereby the individual music selections can be requested from the service provider.

5. The center as set forth in claim 4 wherein one of the category flags comprises an ownership category flag that indicates which music selections from the list of all music selections are currently resident in the storage device.

6. The center as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least one of the displays includes a play list of music selections chosen from the search list, the center being constructed and arranged to translate compressed data of each of the music selections on the play list, in a predetermined order, and to convert the playable digital music data into audible music signals.

7. The center as set forth in claim 6 further comprising a memory function constructed and arranged to memorize predetermined lists of music selections for subsequent playback based upon predetermined list identifier commands.

8. The center as set forth in claim 7 wherein at least one of the category flags comprises a rating flag and further comprising means for selectively blocking playback of songs associated with predetermined rating flags, the means for blocking including a password entry function to control the means for blocking.

9. The center as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a display screen having a plurality of graphical user interface displays, at least one of the displays including a plurality of buttons that, when activated, display a list of music selections on a search list having the associated category flags.

10. The center as set forth in claim 9 wherein each of the category buttons is constructed and arranged to display a plurality of sub-category buttons with other associated category flags whereby activation of the sub-category buttons further defines a selection of individual music selections so that the further defined music selections have each of the selected associated category flags.

11. The center as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a graphical user interface having a plurality of display screens, at least one of the screens showing thereon a plurality of buttons associated with individual of the associated category flags, a playback list showing music selections schedule for playback by the center and a search list showing current music selections retrieved based upon predetermined of the category buttons.

12. The center as set forth in claim 1 wherein the compressed data is encrypted according to a predetermined encryption format requiring a unique decryption key and wherein the center includes a decryptor including the predetermined key for enabling decryption of the compressed data.

13. The center as set forth in claim 1, wherein one of the category buttons is cross-referenced within the storage device with respect to each individual selection.

14. The center as set forth in claim 1, wherein one of the categories includes sub-categories.

15. A computer readable medium that contains program instructions for:

receiving compressed data representative of a plurality of musical selections from a source;

storing the compressed data in a database with a plurality of category markers associated therewith representative of a plurality of predetermined characteristics of each of the musical selections, respectively;

selectively accessing predetermined of the plurality of selections and constructing a list of the selections for playback as music based upon at least one of the predetermined characteristics entered by a user;

decompressing and playing back each of the predetermined of the plurality of selections according to a desired order of playback; and

displaying in a graphical user interface display having a plurality of selectable screens, at least one of the selectable screens including a plurality of category buttons constructed and arrayed so that when a predetermined of the category buttons is activated, music selections having category flags matching the predetermined category of a respective of the buttons are selected and listed on the display.

16. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 15 wherein the step of receiving includes downloading the compressed data from a network.

17. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 16 further comprising the step of de-encrypting the compressed data according to a predetermined decryption protocol.

18. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 16 wherein the step of decompressing includes employing an MPEG3 format.