Music distribution systems

• US 7,209,900 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2001
• Issued: 04/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Zarbana Digital Fund LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Ochoa Optics LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hunter, Charles Eric, Sparks, Kelly C., Hebrank, John H., Ballou, Bernard L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): ELISCA, PIERRE E
• Application Number:
  US09/855,992
• Publication Number:
  US 20020111912A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,170 Days
• Field of Search: 705/58, 705/51, 705/64, 705/72, 705/75, 705/26, 705/50, 705/57, 705/53, 705/59, 705/40, 709/229, 709/219, 709/217, 713/200, 713/155, 713/176, 380201-204
• US Class Current: 705/58
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• 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: G11B 2220/2529 Mini-discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/41 Flat as opposed to hierarchical combination, e.g. library of tapes or discs, CD changer, or groups of record carriers that together store one title
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/08 among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/16 Arrangements for broadcast or for distribution of identical information repeatedly
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/31 using in-band signals, e.g. subsonic or cue signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/40 Arrangements for broadcast specially adapted for accumulation-type receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/74 of satellite networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/50 characterised by the use of watermarks
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/06 Arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/11 Arrangements for counter-measures when a portion of broadcast information is unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/17 on recording information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/18 on copying information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/21 Billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/22 : per use
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/23 : using cryptography, e.g. encryption, authentication, key distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 : Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 : Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/63 : for services of sales data processing systems or methods specially adapted for electronic commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 : for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/98 : Physical distribution of media, e.g. postcards, CDs or DVDs
• 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 21/262 : Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 : Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 : End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 : involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/63345 : by transmitting keys key distribution for secret or secure communication H04L9/08; network support of key management H04L63/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8106 : involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 : comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 : involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 : Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

Music is blanket transmitted (for example, via satellite downlink transmission) to each customer'"'"'s user station where selected music files are recorded. Customers preselect from a list of available music in advance using an interactive screen selector, and pay only for music that they choose to playback for their enjoyment. An antipiracy “ID tag” is woven into the recorded music so that any illegal copies therefrom may be traced to the purchase transaction. Music is transmitted on a fixed schedule or through an active scheduling process that monitors music requests from all or a subset of satellite receivers and adjust scheduling according to demand for various CD'"'"'s. Receivers store selections that are likely to be preferred by a specific customer. In those instances where weather conditions, motion of atmospheric layers or dish obstructions result in data loss, the system downloads the next transmission of the requested CD and uses both transmissions to produce a “good copy”. In conjunction with the blanket transmission of more popular music, an automated CD manufacturing facility may be provided to manufacture CD'"'"'s that are not frequently requested and distribute them by ground transportation.

Claims

1. A system for distributing music to at least one customer household, the system comprising:

(a) a data transmission system for blanket transmitting at least one music selections to the at least one customer household in digital format;

(b) a user station for placement at the at least one customer households, enabling the at least one customer household to preview the at least one music selection a predetermined number of times before billing the at least one customer household for the at least one music selection, the user station including;

i. a user interface for permitting the at least one customer household to preselect a transmitted music selection for recording;

ii. a receiver;

iii. a high capacity storage medium, in communication with the receiver for recording the preselected music selection in digital form; and

iv. an audio output for outputting audio signals from the high capacity storage medium to a playback device for enabling the at least one customer household to playback the recorded music selection;

v. a circuit for degrading a quality of the previewed preselected music selections by compressing the preselected music selections by a process selected from the group consisting of;

compressing the preselected music selections;

adding distortion to the preselected music selections;

overlaying voice over the preselected music selections; and

deleting sections from the preselected music selections;

vi. an anti-piracy module to embed an ID tag in decoded music selections;

vii. an output device for supplying the decoded music selections to the at least one customer household from a decoder;

(c) a central controller system having a database for storing therein information corresponding to the at least one customer household and having a key unique to the music selections;

(d) a communications link for placement between the at least one customer household and the central controller system for verifying to the controller system when a preselected music selection has been made available for playback; and

(e) a billing system associated with the central controller system to bill the at least one customer household for a music selection that has been made available for playback.

2. A system for distributing music to at least one customer households, the system comprising:

(a) a data transmission system for blanket transmitting at least one music selection to the at least one customer household in digital format;

(b) a user station to be placed at the at least one customer household, the user station including;

i. a user interface for permitting the at least one customer household to preselect desired transmitted music selections for recording and permitting each of the plurality of customer households to designate the music preference information;

ii. a receiver and associated high capacity storage medium for recording the preselected music selection in digital form; and

iii. an audio output for outputting audio signals to a playback device for enabling the at least one customer household to playback the recorded music selection;

iv. an anti-piracy module to embed an ID tag in decoded music selections;

v. an output device for supplying the decoded music selections to the at least one customer household from a decoder;

(c) a central controller system having a database for storing therein information corresponding to the at least one customer household and having a key unique to the music selections, wherein the central controller system further;

automatically enables blanket transmission to the user stations of music content without requiring music selections from the user station according to assigned customer profiles,

assigns a customer profiles according to the at least one households music preference information communicated by the user station to the central controller system; and

further comprises;

a customer preference information storage memory for receiving and storing the at least one customer households designated music preference infomiation;

a general population preference database for storing preference information for the at least one customer household;

a customer catalog generator for analyzing the customer preference information storage memory and the general population preference database to create an individual customer catalog for the at least one customer household that determines which music is automatically blanket transmitted;

(d) a communications link between each of the plurality of customer households and the central controller system for verifying to the controller system when a preselected music selection has been made available for playback; and

(e) a billing system associated with the central controller system to bill the customer household for music selections that are made available for playback.

3. A method for distributing music to at least one customer household, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) blanket transmitting at least one music selection to the at least one customer household in digital format;

(b) providing a customer household with information identifying the at least one music selection that will be transmitted;

(c) preselecting and recording the at least one transmitted music selection at the at least one customer household on a high capacity storage medium;

(d) enabling the at least one customer household to preview the preselected music selection a predetermined number of times, utilizing a user station comprising a circuit for degrading quality of the previewed preselected music selection previewed by a process selected from the group consisting of;

compressing the preselected music selection;

adding distortion to the preselected music selection;

overlaying voice over the preselected music selections; and

deleting sections from the preselected music selection

(e) enabling the customer household to playback the preselected music selection;

(f) embedding an ID tag in decoded music selections;

(g) supplying the decoded music selections to the at least one customer household from a decoder via an output device;

(h) receiving music playback information from the customer household at a central controller system having a key unique to the music selections; and

(i) billing the customer household for the preselected music selection that has been played back, based on the communicated music playback information.

4. A method for distributing music to at least one customer household, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) blanket transmitting at least one music selection to the at least one customer household in digital format, the blanket transmitting including the steps of;

i. assigning to the at least one customer households a customer profile according to music preference information of the at least one household communicated to the central controller system,

ii. permitting the at least one customer household to designate music preference information,

iii. receiving and storing the at least one customer household designated music preference information at the central controller system,

iv. storing preference information for the at least one customer household, and

v. analyzing the preference information for the at least one household and the general population to create an individual customer catalog for the at least one customer household that determines which music is automatically blanket transmitted, and

vi. blanket transmitting to the at least one customer household music content according to the assigned customer profile;

(b) providing the at least one customer household with information identifying available music selections that will be transmitted;

(c) permitting the at least one customer household to preselect and record desired music selections on a high capacity storage medium;

(d) enabling the at least one customer household to playback the recorded music selections;

(e) embedding an ID tag in decoded music selections;

(f) supplying the decoded music selections to the at least one customer household from a decoder via an output device;

(g) receiving music playback information from the customer household at a central controller system having a key unique to the music selections; and

(h) billing the at least one customer household for the recorded music selections that are made available for playback.