Multimedia box network

• US 6,598,230 B1
• Filed: 02/25/1999
• Issued: 07/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AMI Entertainment Network, LLC
• Original Assignee: Robert Vincent Martinez
• Inventors: Ballhorn, Karsten
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shang, Annan
• Application Number:
  US09/257,377
• Time in Patent Office: 1,608 Days
• Field of Search: 725/98, 725/114-119, 725/110, 725/109, 725/111, 725/113, 725/122, 725/9-93, 709/217-219, 709/223-232, 434/307.A, 455/414, 455/420, 455/557, 455/3.01, 455/3.03, 455/3.06
• US Class Current: 725/118
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/305 for record players

Abstract

The invention relates to a multimedia box network consisting of a data server comprising a mass storage device, on which digital pieces of music and/or videos are stored, and of a plurality of multimedia boxes, with one multimedia box in each case comprising an operating unit, a local storage device and a player unit, and with each multimedia box being connected to the data server by means of a first data link. To provide a high-performance network for multimedia boxes, which allows a decentralised servicing of the multimedia boxes, it is provided that at least one management station comprising a computer is connected to the data server by means of a second data link and to at least one multimedia box by means of a third data link.

Claims

1. A multimedia box network comprising:

a main data server including a mass storage device on which digital pieces of music and/or videos are stored;

an operator group including at least one multimedia box linked to said main data server by a first data link over which pieces of music and/or videos are transmitted, said at least one multimedia box including an operating unit, a local storage device and a player apparatus;

a peripheral management station connected to said main data server by a second data link over which said peripheral management station can receive data on the pieces of music and/or videos available on said main data server, said peripheral management station including a computer connected to said operator group by a third data link over which data for servicing and/or programming of said at least one multimedia box can be transferred from said peripheral management station.

2. The multimedia box network as set forth in claim 1, wherein said peripheral management station is remotely located from said operator group, and said third data link includes a direct ISDN line.

3. The multimedia box network as set forth in claim 1, wherein said third data link is connected in series with said first data link and said second data link.

4. The multimedia box network as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first data link includes an ISDN line.

5. The multimedia box network as set forth in claim 1, wherein said peripheral management station includes a service database for storing information on the pieces of music and/or videos available on said main data server, which stored information can be updated over said second data link.

6. The multimedia box network as set forth in claim 5, wherein said stored information is updated over said second data link using an add command and a delete command.

7. The multimedia box network as set forth in claim 1, wherein said main data server includes a separate information server storing information on a data program contained within said main data server, data between said main data server and said information server being exchanged via a parallel data link.

8. The multimedia box network as set forth in claim 1, wherein said operator group includes a plurality of multimedia boxes, said peripheral management station transferring data for servicing and/or programming of each of said plurality of multimedia boxes over said third data link.

9. The multimedia box network as set forth in claim 2, wherein said operator group includes a plurality of multimedia boxes, said peripheral management station transferring data for servicing and/or programming of each of said plurality of multimedia boxes over said third data link.

10. The multimedia box network as set forth in claim 5, wherein said peripheral data station provides said operator group with said data on the pieces of music and/or videos available on the main data server over said third data link, but said pieces of music and/or videos themselves are delivered to said operator group from said main data server over said first data link.

11. The multimedia box network as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of operator groups each including at least one multimedia box, each of said plurality of operator groups connected to a respective one of a plurality of peripheral management stations for decentralized servicing of said multimedia boxes through said respective peripheral management stations.

12. The multimedia box network as set forth in claim 1, wherein a command from said peripheral management station to play over specified pieces of music and/or videos onto said multimedia box connected thereto is sent to said main data server via said second data link, with actual playing over of said specified pieces of music and/or videos to said multimedia box being done via said first data link.

13. The multimedia box network as set forth in claim 12, wherein said second data link includes an ISDN line in a direction toward said main data server and an Internet connection in a direction toward said peripheral management station.

14. The multimedia box network as set forth in claim 9, wherein said peripheral management station includes a user database storing a status of each of said plurality of multimedia boxes connected to said peripheral management station.

15. The multimedia box network as set forth in claim 1, wherein said operating unit includes a touch-screen monitor for displaying identifying information on digital pieces of music and/or video stored in said local storage device, said touch-screen monitor allowing selection of a piece of music and/or video for forwarding to said player apparatus.

16. A multimedia box network comprising:

a main data server including a mass storage device on which digital pieces of music and/or videos are stored;

an operator group including at least one multimedia box remotely linked to said main data server by a first data link over which pieces of music and/or videos are transmitted, said at least one multimedia box including an operating unit, a local storage device and a player apparatus;

a peripheral management station connected to said main data server by a second data link, separate from said first data link, over which said peripheral management station can receive data on the pieces of music and/or videos available on said main data server, said peripheral management station remotely located from said main data server and from said operator group and including a computer connected to said operator group by a third data link, separate from said first and second data links, over which data for servicing and/or programming of said at least one multimedia box can be transferred from said remotely located peripheral management station.

17. The multimedia box network as set forth in claim 16, further comprising a plurality of operator groups each including at least one multimedia box, each of said plurality of operator groups connected to a respective one of a plurality of peripheral management stations for decentralized servicing of said multimedia boxes through said respective peripheral management stations.

18. The multimedia box network as set forth in claim 16, wherein said operator group includes a plurality of multimedia boxes serviced by said peripheral management station, said peripheral management station being operated in a regional depot.