Music distribution systems

• US 7,370,016 B1
• Filed: 10/06/2000
• Issued: 05/06/2008
• 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:
  US09/684,442
• Time in Patent Office: 2,769 Days
• Field of Search: 705/57, 705/58, 705/72, 705/67, 705/40, 380200-204, 340/825.35, 369/30
• US Class Current: 705/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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 60/18 on copying information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast

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 consumer locations comprising:

a data transmission system configured to blanket transmit a plurality of music content items to at least one remote consumer location in digital form;

a central controller system configured to store therein an address corresponding to the at least one remote consumer location;

a mechanism configured to verify to the controller system when a pre-selected music content item has been recorded at the at least one remote consumer location comprising;

a mechanism configured to transmit pricing information for the pre-selected music content item to a user station where it is stored in nonvolatile memory for subsequent querying by the central controller; and

a mechanism configured to receive the pricing information for the pre-selected music content item stored in the user station once a consumer makes an indication at a user station that the consumer wishes to record the music content item at the user station; and

a billing system associated with the central controller system configured to bill said consumer for pre-selected music content items that have been recorded at the at least one remote consumer location.

2. The system of claim 1 for distributing music to consumer locations further comprising:

a user station for placement at the at least one remote consumer location, the user station comprising;

a pre-selection mechanism configured to enable a consumer to pre-select from the blanket transmission of a plurality of music content items specific music content items for storage at the at least one remote consumer location; and

a selection mechanism configured to enable said consumer to select for playback any one of the pre-selected music content items that are stored at the at least one remote consumer location.

3. The system of claim 2 for distributing music to consumer locations further comprising an access mechanism configured to enable the user station to access a content library, said content library comprising said pre-selected music content items.

4. The system of claim 3 for distributing music to consumer locations further comprising:

a play list mechanism configured to enable said consumer location to construct a play list of said content library; and

a playing mechanism configured to play said play list in any sequence at any time.

5. The system of claim 4 for distributing music to consumer locations, wherein said play list mechanism comprises an ordering mechanism configured to order said sequence including continuous playback, shuffle, sort-by-artist, sort-by-title or sort-by-category.

6. The system of claim 2 for distributing music to consumer locations, wherein said user station has a portion of a high capacity storage medium dedicated to recording pre-selected music selections.

7. The system of claim 6 for distributing music to consumer locations, wherein said high capacity storage medium is a hard drive.

8. The system of claim 2 wherein said a pre-selection mechanism comprises:

a menu driven, graphical user interface with simplified controls providing music selection by artist, title and category.

9. The system for distributing music of claim 2 wherein said a pre-selection mechanism comprises a consumer preference selection mechanism configured to enable selection of consumer preferred music styles by a consumer at said remote consumer location.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said consumer preference selection mechanism comprises a graphical user interface with a music style preferences list.

11. The system of claim 2 wherein said consumer preference selection mechanism comprises:

a graphical user interface with music style, subgroup and artist preferences lists for a more detailed selection by said consumer.

12. The system for distributing music of claim 2 further comprising a high capacity storage medium connected to a permanent storage medium.

13. The system for distributing music of claim 2 wherein a central controller system comprises:

a general population cluster preference database;

a consumer catalog generator module;

an individual consumer preference information storage module; and

a payload scheduler.

14. The system for distributing music of claim 13 wherein said individual consumer preference information storage module comprises an information collection mechanism configured to obtain said consumer preferred music styles of each consumer.

15. The system for distributing music of claim 13 wherein said general population cluster preference database comprises a consumer preference collection mechanism configured to obtain said consumer preferred music styles of a plurality of consumer locations.

16. The system for distributing music of claim 13 wherein said consumer catalog generator module comprises:

a catalog generation mechanism configured to generate an individual consumer catalog based on an analysis of said consumer preferred music styles of a plurality of consumer locations from said general population cluster preference database and said consumer preferred music styles from said individual consumer preference information storage module.

17. The system for distributing music of claim 16 wherein the system is operable for a plurality of ID headers on all of the pre-selected music content items to be read and only those that are indicated by said individual consumer catalog as being desirable to the consumer are selected for recording.

18. The system for distributing music of claim 2 wherein said user station has a download module configured to decode pricing information and said transmitted music content items.

19. A method of distributing music to consumer locations comprising the acts of:

blanket transmitting a plurality of music content items to at least one consumer location;

providing the at least one consumer location with information identifying available music content items;

verifying to a controller system that the pre-selected music selection has been recorded at the at least one consumer location, said verifying comprising;

transmitting pricing information for the pre-selected music content item to a user station where it is stored in nonvolatile memory for subsequent querying by the central controller; and

receiving the pricing information for the pre-selected music content item stored in the user station once a consumer makes an indication at a user station that the consumer wishes to record the music content item at the user station; and

billing said at least one consumer location for the recorded music selections that are recorded at the at least one consumer location.

20. The method of claim 19 for distributing music to consumer locations further comprising providing a pre-selection mechanism to the at least one remote consumer location configured to enable pre-selection of and record desired music selections included in the blanket transmission of a plurality of music content items.

21. The method of claim 20 for distributing music to consumer locations wherein the pre-selection mechanism comprises a content library, said content library comprising said pre-selected music selections.

22. The method of claim 20 for distributing music to consumer locations further comprising providing a playback mechanism configured to playback recorded music selections according to a consumer location created play list, said play list being arranged to play said recorded music selections in any sequence at any time.

23. The method of claim 22 for distributing music to consumer locations wherein a menu driven, graphical user interface with simplified controls for user selection of said music is part of the consumer location created play list.

24. The method of claim 20 for distributing music to consumer locations, wherein said blanket transmission is direct broadcast satellite data transmission accomplished with substantially a 240 watt transponder, thereby increasing effective transponder capacity.

25. The method of claim 20 wherein a consumer of said consumer location selects consumer preferred music styles by using a graphical user interface having a musical style preferences list.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein said consumer of said consumer location may select additional consumer preferences of music subgroup and artist by using said graphical user interface having additionally a subgroup preferences list and an artist preferences list.

27. An apparatus for distributing music to consumer locations comprising:

a data transmission device configured to blanket transmit a plurality of music content items to at least one remote consumer location in digital form;

a verification mechanism configured to verify when a pre-selected music content item as been recorded at the at least one remote consumer location, said verification mechanism comprising;

a mechanism configured to transmit pricing information for the pre-selected music content item to a user station where it is stored in nonvolatile memory for subsequent querying by the central controller; and

a mechanism configured to receive the pricing information for the pre-selected music content item stored in the user station once a consumer makes an indication at a user station that the consumer wishes to record the music content item at the user station; and

a billing mechanism configured to bill a consumer associated with the at least one remote consumer location for pre-selected music content items that have been recorded at the at least one remote consumer location.

28. The apparatus for distributing music of claim 27 further comprising:

a general population cluster preference database;

a consumer catalog generator module;

an individual consumer preference information storage module; and

a payload scheduler.

29. The apparatus for distributing music of claim 28 wherein said individual consumer preference information storage module comprises an information collection mechanism configured to obtain said consumer preferred music styles of each consumer.

30. The system for distributing music of claim 28 wherein said consumer catalog generator module comprises:

a catalog generation mechanism configured to generate an individual consumer catalog based on an analysis of said consumer preferred music styles of a plurality of consumer locations from said general population cluster preference database and said consumer preferred music styles from said individual consumer preference information storage module.