Audiovisual content distribution system

• US 6,366,914 B1
• Filed: 08/07/1998
• Issued: 04/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing SAS (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: PRN Corp. (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Stern, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): DO, THUY T
• Application Number:
  US09/130,899
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/104, 709/217, 709/203, 709/219, 709/227, 709/9, 709/201, 709/200
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0247 Calculate past, present or future revenues
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0249 based upon budgets or funds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0254 based on statistics
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

A digital department system is disclosed. The digital department system of the present invention includes a network management center, a network operating center that is coupled to the network management center, a multimedia server, a multicasting transmission medium coupling the network operating center and the multimedia server, a listening post coupled to the multimedia server by the network, and one or more audio/video display capable of displaying video and capable of playing audio, the audio video display coupled to the multimedia server by the network. The audio and video content are stored in digitized files on the multimedia server for distribution throughout the site via the network.

Claims

1. A digital department system comprising:

a network management center that receives files from content providers, assigns at least one attribute for each file to create designated files for distribution to end clients;

a multimedia server, wherein said designated files are stored in digitized files on said multimedia server;

a communications network, said network management center and said multimedia server coupled by said communications network; and

a network node coupled to said multimedia server said network node including a preview unit configured to provide sensory output corresponding to a designated file transmitted from said network management center to said multimedia server via said communications network.

2. The digital department system of claim 1, wherein said network management center is configured to aggregate content from at least one content source.

3. The digital department system of claim 2, wherein said at least one content source is one of a movie studio, a recording label, a product manufacturer, an advertising agency, and a computer software manufacturer.

4. The digital department system of claim 1, wherein said communications network comprises:

a network operating center, said network operating center coupled to said network management center; and

a transmission medium, wherein said network operating center and said multimedia server are coupled by said transmission medium.

5. The digital department system of claim 4, wherein said transmission medium is a multicasting transmission medium.

6. The digital department system of claim 5, wherein said multicasting transmission medium employs a multicasting file transfer protocol.

7. The digital department system of claim 4, wherein said transmission medium is a satellite communications system.

8. The digital department system of claim 1, wherein said network node is a listening post.

9. The digital department system of claim 1, wherein said listening post is associated with an endcap to form a endcap preview unit, and said preview unit is configured to allow said content to be previewed.

10. A method of distributing promotional material to an end client in a commercial sales outlet, comprising the steps of:

aggregating content by receiving files from content providers, assigning at least one attribute for each file to create designated files for distribution to end clients;

digitizing said designated files into digital designated files;

distributing at least one digital designated to a plurality of end clients designated to receive the at least one digital designated file;

disassembling said at least one digital designated file into at least one digitized component to at least one of said plurality of end clients; and

communicating information represented by said at least one digitized component to the end client.

11. A method of distributing promotional material to a user in a commercial sales outlet, comprising the steps of:

aggregating content;

digitizing said content into a digital file;

distributing said digital file to a plurality of sites;

disassembling said digital file into at least one digitized component at least one of said plurality of sites; and

communicating information represented by said at least one digitized component to the user,

said disassembling including,

decompressing said at least one digital component; and

sorting said at least one digital component by a relationship of each one of said at least one digital component to one of a plurality of commercial products into groups of said at least one digital component on a multimedia fileserver.

12. A method of distributing promotional material to a user in a commercial sales outlet, comprising the steps of:

aggregating content;

digitizing said content into a digital file;

distributing said digital file to a plurality of sites;

disassembling said digital file into at least one digitized component at least one of said plurality of sites; and

communicating information represented by said at least one digitized component to the user,

wherein said disassembling step comprises;

decompressing said at least one digital component; and

sorting said at least one digital component by a relationship of each one of said at least one digital component to one of a plurality of commercial products into groups of said at least one digital component on a multimedia fileserver, and

wherein said groups of said at least one digital component are sorted based at least in part on a universal product code.

13. A method of distributing promotional material to a user in a commercial sales outlet, comprising the steps of:

aggregating content;

digitizing said content into a digital file;

distributing said digital file to a plurality of sites;

disassembling said digital file into at least one digitized component at least one of said plurality of sites;

communicating information represented by said at least one digitized component to the user,

wherein said disassembling step including,

decompressing said at least one digital component; and

sorting said at least one digital component by a relationship of each one of said at least one digital component to one of a plurality of commercial products into groups of said at least one digital component on a multimedia fileserver,

wherein said groups of said at least one digital component are stored on said multimedia fileserver based at least in part on a universal product code.

14. A digital department system comprising:

a network management center that receives files from content providers, assigns at least one attribute for each file to create designated files for distribution to end clients;

a network operating center, said network operating center coupled to said network management center;

a multimedia server;

a multicasting transmission medium coupling said network operating center and said multimedia server;

a plurality of end clients coupled to said multimedia server each of an end client receiving its designated files;

a display coupled to said multimedia server by said network, wherein said designated files are stored in digitized files on said multimedia server.

15. A method of distributing promotional material to a user in a commercial sales outlet, comprising the steps of:

aggregating promotional content;

digitizing said aggregated promotional content into a digital file;

distributing said digital file electronically;

receiving said digital file;

disassembling said digital file into digitized components;

distributing at least one of said digitized components to a node on a network, said network being capable of communicating information represented by said digitized component to the user.