Audiovisual distribution system for playing an audiovisual piece among a plurality of audiovisual devices connected to a central server through a network

• US 7,124,194 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2002
• Issued: 10/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TouchTunes Music Corporation (The Octave Music Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TouchTunes Music Corporation (The Octave Music Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nathan, Guy, Mastronardi, Tony
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn, Jr., William C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MESFIN, YEMANE
• Application Number:
  US10/195,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20030074666A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,554 Days
• Field of Search: 709/221, 709/223, 709/250, 709/231, 725/61, 725/111, 725/115, 725/117, 725/145, 725/91, 725 86- 89, 725/92, 725/105, 705/26, 705/79
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/24 using interrupt G06F13/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/60 of audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/63 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4812 by interrupt, e.g. masked
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/027 involving a payment switch or gateway
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/305 for record players
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0033 Recording/reproducing or transmission of music for electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0041 in coded form
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0058 Transmission between separate instruments or between individual components of a musical system G10H1/0083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/361 Recording/reproducing of accompaniment for use with an external source, e.g. karaoke systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/365 the accompaniment information being stored on a host computer and transmitted to a reproducing terminal by means of a network, e.g. public telephone lines
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/415 Infrared beams
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/026 : File encryption of specific electrophonic music instrument file or stream formats, e.g. MIDI, note oriented formats, sound banks, wavetables
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/081 : Genre classification, i.e. descriptive metadata for classification or selection of musical pieces according to style
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/091 : Info, i.e. juxtaposition of unrelated auxiliary information or commercial messages with or between music files
• 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: G10H 2240/191 : CRC, i.e. error detection using a cyclic redundancy check
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/245 : ISDN [Integrated Services Digital Network]
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/255 : Optical fibre transmission for electrophonic musical instrument purposes, e.g. hum mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/261 : Satellite transmission for musical instrument purposes, e.g. processing for mitigation of satellite transmission delays
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/265 : CATV transmission, i.e. electrophonic musical instruments connected to community antennas or cable television networks
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/291 : SCSI, i.e. Small Computer System Interface
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/295 : Packet switched network, e.g. token ring
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 : Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2529 : Mini-discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 : CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 : Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/913 : Digital audio tape [DAT] format
• 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 27/032 : on tapes G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 : on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• 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: H04H 20/38 : Arrangements for distribution where lower stations, e.g. receivers, interact with the broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/40 : Arrangements for broadcast specially adapted for accumulation-type receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/76 : Wired systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/79 : using downlink of the CATV systems, e.g. audio broadcast via CATV network
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/82 : using signals not modulated onto a carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/21 : Billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/23 : using cryptography, e.g. encryption, authentication, key distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/94 : Telephonic networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/84
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 : Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 : involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4184 : providing storage capabilities, e.g. memory stick
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 : involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 : for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 : for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 : Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 : Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 : OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 : comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 : Handling of requests in head-ends
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 : Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 : Archiving or backup

Abstract

Audiovisual reproduction system triggered by payment from a user, developed around a microprocessor device, said system comprising memory containing, in compressed digital form, audio and visual information to be used, a display and digital audio reproduction unit enabling formation of a multimedia environment, wherein the display comprises a video monitor and an interactive interface with the user by an interface program which reacts to external events and translates the external events for a multitasking operating system as events which trigger, via a graphical module of a library of integrated tools and services, a display of windows or frames providing a modification of physical operating parameters of the audiovisual reproduction system, said external events comprising at least a down event interpreting coincidence of a placement of pointing device with the position of at least a representation displayed by the graphic module, and an event which triggers modification of the physical operating parameters by storing these parameters in said memory.

Claims

1. An audiovisual distribution system for playing an audiovisual piece, the audiovisual distribution system comprising:

a central computer server including;

a mass storage that stores a plurality of audiovisual pieces,

a server network card that receives requests for said audiovisual pieces, and

a server multitask operating system communicating with said mass storage and said server network card;

a number of buffers linked to respective controller circuits associated to hardware devices,

detection means for detecting tasks realization in each of said buffers; and

a plurality of audiovisual devices, each including;

at least one of an audio unit and a video unit that effect play of an audiovisual piece,

an interface unit that effects communication with a device user,

a payment device,

a device network card linked to said server network card, and

a device multitask operating system module operatively coupled with respectively the audio unit and the video unit, said interface unit, said payment device, and said device network card,

and wherein said device network card of each audiovisual device is declared to said device multitask operating system as a peripheral corresponding to a hard disk, said device multitask operating system having at least one hard disk access management task in which the order to play a piece resulting from a selection is processed as a hard disk sequential access task which makes the device network card send a request for said audiovisual pieces, in the form of a hard disk sequential access request, to the server network card, such that each audiovisual device does not include a storage medium for audiovisual pieces.

2. An audiovisual distribution system of claim 1, wherein said detection means comprise a task scheduling module, said server multitask operating system comprising a kernel for managing tasks with a hierarchic order.

3. An audiovisual distribution system of claim 2, wherein each audiovisuals device also comprises a task scheduling module, said device multitask operating system including a kernel for managing tasks with a hierarchic order.

4. An audiovisual distribution system of claim 1, wherein the server multitask operating system processes the hard disk sequential access request as its own requests for disk access.

5. Audiovisual distribution system according to claim 4, wherein the server comprises at least one telecommunications modem.

6. Audiovisual distribution system according to claim 5, wherein the speed of each network card is greater than 10 Mbit/s, and the dimensions of the buffers of the video and sound control circuits allow the exchange of information with a speed of at least 10 Mbit/s in order to produce the video animation on a network containing at least eight audiovisual apparatus.

7. Audiovisual distribution system according to claim 6, wherein the network comprises a number of servers, each associated with a hard disk, and a number of audiovisual apparatus such that the number of servers is at least equal to the number of audiovisual apparatus divided by eight.

8. Audiovisual distribution system according to claim 7, wherein the operating system of each server is associated with a switching means making it possible to decide whether the information provided in response to the request of a network apparatus is delivered to all the network apparatus or only to those apparatus which transmitted a request.

9. Audiovisual distribution system according to claim 8, wherein the server is equipped with audio or video means for playing a piece, payment means and means for interactive communication with a user or the network manager.

10. Audiovisual distribution system according to claim 9, wherein the operating status of the server or respectively the apparatus is held on the hard disk of the server or respectively in the permanent memory of the apparatus.