Audiovisual reproduction system

• US 6,336,219 B1
• Filed: 07/21/1999
• Issued: 01/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TouchTunes Music Corporation (The Octave Music Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TouchTunes Music Corporation (The Octave Music Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nathan, Guy
• Primary Examiner(s): Faile, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Hai V.
• Application Number:
  US09/357,762
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: 348/7, 348/8, 348/552, 348/103, 348/104, 381/77, 381/80, 381/104, 381/105, 381/107, 381/103, 709/217-219, 709/224, 455/6.3, 455/200.1, 455/355, 725/41, 725/91, 345/327, 345/349
• US Class Current: 725/91
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/305 for record players
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/181 Billing, i.e. purchasing of data contents for use with electrophonic musical instruments; Protocols therefor; Management of transmission or connection time therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/40 Combinations of multiple record carriers
• 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: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/232 Content retrieval operation locally within server, e.g. reading video streams from disk arrays storage management G06F3/0604; details of querying and searching of video data from a database G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2542 for selling goods, e.g. TV shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25435 involving characteristics of content or additional data, e.g. video resolution or the amount of advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41415 involving a public display, viewable by several users in a public space outside their home, e.g. movie theatre, information kiosk
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6332 directed to client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/802 involving processing of the sound signal H04N9/806, H04N9/835 take precedence

Abstract

Audiovisual reproduction system comprising a central unit managing a sound control circuit, and a telecommunications modem connected to a distribution network controlled by a host server, through a multitask operating system created around a tools and services library, characterized in that the operating system comprises a function that adjusts the sound control circuit to couple volumes in the various areas in which the loudspeakers in the audiovisual reproduction system are used, this function being accessible through a management mode of the multitask operating system, the coupling maintaining the ratios between the various volumes in each area when the volume in one area is modified.

Claims

1. Digital jukebox system comprising a central unit managing a sound control circuit, and a telecommunications modem connected to a distribution network controlled by a host server, through a multitask operating system created around a library of tools and services, and wherein the operating system comprises a function that adjusts the sound control circuit to couple volumes in the various areas in which the loudspeakers of the digital jukebox system are used, this function being accessible through a management mode of the multitask operating system, the coupling maintaining the ratios between the various volumes in each area when the volume in one area is modified.

2. Digital jukebox system according to claim 1, wherein the volume generated by the loudspeakers is programmable using a tools and services library management mode as a function of the time of the day.

3. Digital jukebox system according to claim 1, wherein the volume setting parameters can be downloaded through a request sent by the host server to the telecommunications modem in the audiovisual reproduction system.

4. Digital jukebox system according to claim 1, wherein the central unit controls a display, an interactive interface, memory and a telecommunications modem connected to a distribution network controlled by a host server through a multitask operating system comprising a library of tools and services, wherein the operating system of the jukebox system automatically sends a request to the host server requesting that at least one selected audiovisual record be downloaded, each audiovisual record being determined as a function of answers to a questionnaire which is stored in a file in the memory to be displayed by the display and to which users reply by actions on the interactive interface.

5. Digital jukebox system according to claim 4, wherein an operator of the jukebox system downloads a list of audiovisual records on the host server through the information distribution network, the host server then downloading the audiovisual records in the list prepared by the operator into the memory of a determined digital jukebox system through the same distribution network.

6. Digital jukebox system according to claim 4, wherein an order is sent to at least one determined jukebox system through a file downloaded on the jukebox system through the host server, this order being memorized by the jukebox system and used to play one or more particular audiovisual records at one or more particular moments.

7. Digital jukebox system according to claim 1, wherein the central unit controls a display, an interactive interface, memory and a telecommunications modem, through a multitask operating system comprising a library of tools and services, wherein at least one image or animation describing at least one coming artistic event close to the location in which the digital jukebox system is installed, is downloaded into a file in the jukebox system, and the jukebox system operating system reads this file so that the display of the digital jukebox system can be used to show the image and/or the animation memorized in the file, at one of specific regular intervals and after a selection of music performed by the artist participating in the artistic event.

8. Digital jukebox system according to claim 7, wherein the display shows a screen that users of the digital jukebox system can use through the telecommunications modem to order entry tickets for the artistic events displayed on the display, the payment for these entry tickets being made through a payment device forming part of the digital jukebox system.

9. Digital jukebox system according to claim 7, further comprising a printer for printing entry tickets corresponding to artistic events shown on the display.

10. Digital jukebox system according to claim 7, wherein the display uses a file in the operating system of the jukebox system to show a screen on the display inviting the user to answer a series of questions through the interactive interface, the answers to the questions then being stored in a file stored in the memory to be sent later to the downloading center for processing.

11. Digital jukebox system according to claim 10, wherein the display of the series of questions is initiated after one of a given audiovisual record has been selected and as a function of the number of selections made by the user.

12. Digital jukebox system according to claim 7, wherein the information related to each image and/or animation is stored in a downloadable file on the memory of the digital jukebox system through a request sent by the host server.

13. Digital jukebox system according to claim 7, wherein the display in the digital jukebox system is used after a determined number of paying musical selections have been made, to display an interactive advertisement recorded in a file in the memory, and including a game in which the user can do at least one of:

win a musical selection, answer a questionnaire recorded in the memory of the system, and obtain free tickets to attend an event.

14. Digital jukebox system according to claim 1, wherein the central unit controls a display, and memory is controlled by an operating system comprising a tools and services library, wherein an operator can access a module in the tools and services library, to offer a manager of the digital jukebox system a given number of credits, one credit corresponding to the fee necessary to select an audiovisual record, the number of credits being stored in a file on the memory, this file being updated each time the manager uses a credit and each time the operator supplies one or more credits.

15. Digital jukebox system according to claim 14, wherein credits supplied by the operator can be used within a given time range determined by a program module that displays a special screen for selection of time ranges within which the credits in the reserve may be used.

16. Digital jukebox system according to claim 14, wherein credit reserve can only be used by the manager, and is controlled by the manager entering a confidential code requested every time before the use of a credit in the reserve is validated.

17. Digital jukebox system according to claim 14, wherein the crediting the credit reserve can only be used by the operator by entering a confidential code requested every time before adding a credit to the reserve is validated.

18. Digital jukebox system according to claim 1, wherein an operator can limit the ranges of values within which the manager can modify the physical parameters of the digital jukebox system.