Messaging and promotion for digital audio media players

• US 7,046,956 B1
• Filed: 06/09/2000
• Issued: 05/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Musicqubed Innovations LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC), W IL Investments I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: 67 KHZ, Inc.
• Inventors: Cohen, Marc S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOW, CHARLES CHIANG
• Application Number:
  US09/590,489
• Time in Patent Office: 2,167 Days
• Field of Search: 455/344, 455/345, 455/346, 455/186.1, 455/66.1, 455/45, 455/566, 455/556.1, 455/557, 455/412.1, 455/414.1, 455/414.3, 455/422.1, 455/2.01, 455/3.06, 455/550.1, 455/575.1, 455/424, 455/425, 455/561, 455/3.05, 455/3.01, 455/577, 379/88, 379/118, 379/22, 379/67, 379/74, 379/76, 379/87, 379/90.1, 379/101.01, 379/101.1, 379/89, 379/102.03, 379/201, 379/457, 379/88.17, 379/88.11, 379/88.1, 709/225, 709/226, 709/229, 709/14, 709/16, 386/46, 386/55, 386/59, 369/7, 369/2, 369/30.08, 369/30, 369/19, 369/178.01, 369/83, 369/5.15, 369/7.2, 369/85, 369/6, 369/12, 369/15, 369/47, 705/14, 340/825.44, 340/825.47, 340/825.52, 725/35, 725 22- 28, 725/32, 725 62- 63, 725/74, 725/86, 725/105, 725/135, 725/143, 725/153, 381 29- 39, 381/51, 381/15, 370/313, 370/110.4, 370/110.1, 370/111, 707/501
• US Class Current: 455/3.06
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2529 Mini-discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/65 wherein solid state memory is used for storing indexing information or metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/913 Digital audio tape [DAT] format
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/107 of operating tapes
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 31/00 Arrangements for the associated working of recording or reproducing apparatus with related apparatus with cameras or projectors G03B31/00 ; recording/reproducing of music for electrophonic musical instruments G10H1/0033; automatic arrangements for answering calls or for recording messages for absent subscribers H04M1/64; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with dictation recording and playback systems H04M11/10; connection of TV recorder with other related apparatus, e.g. TV camera or receiver, in which the TV signal is significantly involved H04N, e.g. H04N23/00, H04N5/765; combination of radio or TV with other apparatus, e.g. with vehicles H05K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/40 Arrangements for broadcast specially adapted for accumulation-type receivers

Abstract

Messaging, such as promotional messaging, is delivered to users of digital audio media players, such as digital disc and tape players. Portable players are especially suited for practice of the invention. Players include a wireless receiver to receive messages and memory for storage of messages. Alternatively, player memory is preloaded with messages. A controller plays messages at reasonable times, e.g., at breaks between tracks of the audio disc or tape being played. Advertising or promotional messages are broadcast to capable digital audio players via wireless transmission and stored in memory. The player reads control information on the disc and stores it in memory. The control information is used to play messages from memory. An effective promotion method is enabled through the invention and use of a player capable of message reception, storage and play in accordance with the invention.

Claims

1. A wireless messaging method for use with recorded digital audio media played in digital audio media players, the method comprising steps of:

providing a promotional, informational or instructional message broadcast to digital audio media players;

then, within a digital audio media player,

receiving promotional, informational or instructional messages as a result of said step of providing,

storing received promotional, informational or instructional messages within the digital audio media player; and

playing a stored promotional, informational or instructional message according to a message play plan in response to a playback operation of the digital audio media on the digital audio media player.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said playback operation comprises a track end.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein a random number of messages are played by said step of playing in response to a playback operation of the digital audio media player.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of converting, after said step of receiving, a received message if the message is in analog format.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of storing comprises:

initially storing a received message in short term memory;

checking long-term memory to see if space is available for the received message, then, if space is available for the received message, transferring the received message to long-term memory, else, freeing space in long-term memory and then transferring the received message to long-term memory.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said step of storing frees space in long-term memory by deleting messages beginning with oldest messages until enough space exists for the received message.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of playing includes a steps of forming the message play plan to determine how many messages should be played from memory in response to a playback operation.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said step of playing includes a step of launching the message play plan.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said step of forming a message play plan comprises:

reading control code data from a digital audio medium in the player;

storing control code data, wherein the control code indicates, at least, break locations between tracks;

executing the message play plan; and

erasing control code data when either the digital audio medium in the player is removed or the player is turned off.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said step of forming a message play plan further comprises:

checking memory to determine a number of messages stored therein;

determining, using the control code data, tracks on the digital audio medium that will have messages played between them; and

determining, based on the number of messages stored in memory and the number of breaks between tracks indicated by control code data, a number of messages to play at each break between tracks.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of determining, using the control code data, tracks on the digital audio medium includes randomness.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein said step of launching a message play plan comprises:

identifying, using control code data, a next track on the digital audio medium to be played;

using the message play plan to determine if a message is to be played before the next track, then, if no message is to be played, returning to said step of identifying, otherwise, determining the number of messages to be played from the message play plan, and pulling that number of messages from memory and playing the messages pulled from memory prior to the next track.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein said playback operation is a track end and said step of playing includes selecting a message from memory based upon a track title.

14. A wireless messaging promotion method for use with recorded digital audio media played in digital audio media players, the method comprising steps of:

arranging distribution of portable digital audio media players capable of playing digital audio media, receiving promotional, informational or instructional messages from a wireless broadcast, storing received promotional, informational or instructional messages in a digital audio media player, and playing a stored promotional, informational or instructional message according to a message play plan in response to a playback operation of the digital audio media on the digital audio media player to a target group of people;

providing a promotional, informational or instructional message broadcast to digital audio media players distributed in said step of distributing.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising a step of arranging manufacture, prior to said step of distributing, of digital audio media players to be distributed in said step of distributing.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein said step of arranging includes arranging for marking of digital audio players to be distributed with promotion indicia.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the messages promote music and include music samples.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein said step of arranging comprises distributing to at least two target groups of people and said step of providing comprises providing a separate broadcast to digital audio players distributed to separate target groups of people.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein digital audio media players having different receiving channels are distributed to separate target groups of people and the separate broadcast is achieved by using separate channels.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein separate target groups of people are geographically separated and the separate broadcast is achieved by geographic separation between broadcasts.

21. A wireless message receiving and playing digital audio media player comprising:

a digital audio medium module which plays digital audio media;

a wireless receiver module which receives promotional, informational or instructional messages from a wireless broadcast, stores received promotional, informational or instructional messages, and outputs stored promotional, informational or instructional messages according to a message play plan in response to a playback operation of the digital audio media by the digital audio medium module;

an audio output which produces audio in response to playing of digital audio media or outputting of promotional, informational or instructional messages from memory;

an interface to interface the audio output to the digital audio medium module and the wireless receiver module.

22. A messaging method for use with recorded digital audio media played in digital audio media players, the method comprising steps of:

loading, by receiving from a wireless broadcast, promotional, informational or instructional messages into memory of digital audio media players;

then, within a digital audio media player,

storing promotional, informational or instructional messages received from said step of loading within the digital audio media player; and

playing a stored promotional, informational or instructional message according to a message play Plan in response to a playback operation of the digital audio media on the digital audio media player.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein said playback operation is a track end and the message play plan selects a promotional, informational or instructional message from memory based upon a track title.