System and method for music downloads over a network

• US 6,295,555 B1
• Filed: 05/22/2000
• Issued: 09/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hahek America Inc., DigiMedia Holdings Group, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Robert Goldman
• Inventors: Goldman, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell, Robert B.
• Application Number:
  US09/576,658
• Time in Patent Office: 491 Days
• Field of Search: 369/26, 369/30, 369/33, 370/486, 381/2, 704/200, 709/200, 709/202, 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 455/91, 455/93
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/06 Arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services

Abstract

A digital radio broadcast station which includes a common digital database having stored therein a plurality of at least several hundred (preferably at least 1800) different selections of music to be played and broadcast by the radio station. A processor system is provided for programming the operation of the digital radio broadcast station with a sequence of music selections, which are subsequently retrieved in order from the common digital database and played over the digital radio broadcast station. The processor system preferably includes a main computer system for operating the radio station, and also a backup computer system for operating the radio station in the event of a failure of the main computer system. The processor system is preferably based upon reduced instruction set computing architecture, and preferably comprises an IBM RS/6000 system with an AIX operating system. The common digital database comprises a disk array storage, preferably a dual port RAID disk array. The digital radio broadcast station also includes a plurality of work station consoles for use by personnel responsible for operating the radio station such as disc jockeys and engineers.

Claims

1. A method for operating an audio on demand network, comprising:

digitally storing, in a computer memory within a computer system, a database comprising a plurality of pieces of music;

providing a communications network between the computer system and a remote device of the user so that the user communicates with the computer system over the communications network;

retrieving a piece of music from the database; and

transmitting the piece of music to the remote device over the communications network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said communications network comprises a wireless telephone network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said communications network comprises a wired telephone network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said communications network comprises a wired communications network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said communications network comprises a wireless communications network.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising selecting a piece of music from the database by the remote device and wherein the retrieval comprises retrieving the selected piece of music.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieval further comprises pushing the piece of music from the database to the remote device.

8. An audio on demand network, comprising:

a computer system comprising a computer memory, said computer memory storing a database comprising a plurality of pieces of music;

a communications network between the computer system and a remote device of the user so that the user communicates with the computer system over the communications network;

means for retrieving from the database a piece of music; and

means for transmitting the piece of music to the remote device over the communications network.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said communications network comprises a wireless telephone network.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said communications network comprises a wired telephone network.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein said communications network comprises a wireless communications network.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein said communications network comprises a wired communications network.

13. The system of claim 8 further comprising means for selecting a piece of music from the database by the remote device and wherein the retrieval means comprises means for retrieving the selected piece of music.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the retrieval means further comprises means for pushing the piece of music from the database to the remote device.