Process for selecting a recording on a digital audiovisual reproduction system, and system for implementing the process

• US 7,500,192 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2001
• Issued: 03/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tony Mastronardi
• Original Assignee: Tony Mastronardi
• Inventors: Mastronardi, Tony
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh; Ba
• Application Number:
  US09/888,540
• Publication Number:
  US 20020126141A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,807 Days
• Field of Search: 715716-721, 715727-732, 715828-830, 715/838, 715/841
• US Class Current: 715/727
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/305 for record players
• 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 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/10 Indicating arrangements; Warning arrangements G11B15/04, G11B19/04, G11B27/34, G11B27/36 take precedence

Abstract

A process of selecting a recording on an audiovisual reproduction system consists of displaying a number of windows on a touch screen as an interface with a user. Items of information are stored in a bulk memory and are representative of an image of the album cover that is associated with each window and whose corresponding musical recording is stored in the bulk memory of the reproduction system. Each zone of a window is associated, via the touch-screen interface software, with at least one address for accessing the items of information in the database that is stored in the bulk memory belonging to the album cover whose image is displayed in the window that is touched by the user.

Claims

1. A jukebox system, comprising:

a jukebox device including a microprocessor, a local computer memory for maintaining a local database of digitized complete songs of various artists and related graphical items corresponding to album covers associated with each of the digitized songs, a display for displaying video, an audio arrangement for providing audio, a communication system for enabling the jukebox device to communicate with an audiovisual distribution network, and a multitasking operating system that enables simultaneous operation of the microprocessor, the display, the audio arrangement and the communication system;

wherein the jukebox is operable to play said digitized songs from said local computer memory on the jukebox device in response to requests by a user and receipt of a fee from the user; and

a server remote from said jukebox device that can be accessed by said jukebox device through said distribution network, said server being at least for maintaining a master database of audiovisual information that can be selectively downloaded to said jukebox device for storage in said local computer memory;

wherein said display on said jukebox device is a touch sensitive display controlled by an interface program reacting when a user contacts the touch sensitive display, the interface program making it possible to translate said user contacts into mouse events for the operating system for providing a user interface for operating said jukebox by enabling the user to select songs from said local computer memory for playing on said jukebox device, said jukebox device being operable to display on said display a graphical item that corresponds to a song currently playing on said jukebox device;

wherein said interface program includes an operation module allowing at least two window areas to be displayed in the touch screen, at least one of the window areas comprising a plurality of said graphical items corresponding to album covers associated with at least one access address for information in the database of songs stored in said local computer memory;

wherein said interface program is arranged so as to trigger, upon touch selection by the user of said area corresponding to one of the windows displaying the album covers, at least some information relating to the album illustrated by its cover, and to display, in an area different from the area used for displaying the album cover images, a list of available songs corresponding to the selected album cover for initiating the playing of an audio recording that is available in the local database;

wherein the user interface is further operable to display graphical items representing album covers of any additional album covers of the same artist as the selected album cover for which songs exist on the local computer memory;

and further wherein said jukebox device is provided with a validation checking process for checking, upon startup of the jukebox device and prior to placing the jukebox in service, that the jukebox device has been provided with a valid registration.

2. The jukebox system of claim 1, wherein, upon touch selection by the user of one of the displayed additional album covers of the same artist as the previously selected album cover, thereby defining a newly selected album cover, the user interface is operable to display the newly selected album cover, a list of songs on the local computer memory that exist on the album represented by the newly selected album cover, and graphical items, representing any additional album covers of the same artist as the newly selected album cover for which songs exist on the local computer memory.

3. The jukebox device of claim 1, wherein said user interface is operable to display up to a predetermined number of said additional album covers of the same artist as the selected album cover for which songs exist on the local computer memory, and further wherein said user interface includes a displayed element for enabling the user to selectively scroll through the additional album covers of the same artist when more than the predetermined number of additional album covers exist.

4. The jukebox device of claim 1, wherein a valid registration further includes a valid registration number.

5. The jukebox device of claim 1, wherein the registered jukebox device is operable to communicate exploitation information to the server, concerning the number of executions of each played digitized song and the corresponding fee to be paid to the label, for each played digitized song.

6. A method of operating jukebox system, the method comprising:

providing a jukebox device including a microprocessor, a local computer memory for maintaining a local database of digitized complete songs of various artists and related graphical items corresponding to album covers associated with each of the digitized songs, a touch sensitive display for displaying video, an audio arrangement for providing audio, a communication system for enabling the jukebox device to communicate with an audiovisual distribution network, and a multitasking operating system that enables simultaneous operation of the microprocessor, the display, the audio arrangement and the communication system;

wherein the jukebox is operable to play said digitized songs from said local computer memory on the jukebox device in response to requests by a user and receipt of a fee from the user; and

providing a server remote from said jukebox device that can be accessed by said jukebox device through said distribution network, said server being at least for maintaining a master database of audiovisual information that can be selectively downloaded to said jukebox device for storage in said local computer memory;

controlling said touch sensitive display via an interface program reacting when a user contacts the touch sensitive display, the interface program making it possible to translate said user contacts into mouse events for the operating system for providing a user interface for operating said jukebox by enabling the user to select songs from said local computer memory for playing on said jukebox device, said jukebox device being operable to display on said display a graphical item that corresponds to a song currently playing on said jukebox device;

enabling, via an operation module included in said interface program, at least two window areas to be displayed in the touch screen, at least one of the window areas comprising a plurality of said graphical items corresponding to album covers associated with at least one access address for information in the database of songs stored in said local computer memory; and

displaying, via said interface program upon touch selection by the user of said area corresponding to one of the widows displaying the album covers, at least some information relating to the album illustrated by its cover, and in an area different from the area used for displaying the album cover images, a list of available songs corresponding to the selected album cover for initiating the playing of an audio recording that is available in the local database;

wherein the user interface is further operable to display graphical items representing album covers of any additional album covers of the same artist as the selected album cover for which songs exist on the local computer memory, and

wherein said jukebox device is provided with a validation checking process for checking, upon startup of the jukebox device and prior to placing the jukebox in service, that the jukebox device has been provided with a valid registration.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising displaying, via the user interface, upon touch selection by the user of one of the displayed additional album covers of the same artist as the previously selected album cover thereby defining a newly selected album cover, the newly selected album cover, a list of songs on the local computer memory that exist on the album represented by the newly selected album cover, and graphical items, representing any additional album covers of the same artist as the newly selected album cover for which songs exist on the local computer memory.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising displaying, via the user interface, up to a predetermined number of said additional album covers of the same artist as the selected album cover for which songs exist on the local computer memory,

wherein said user interface includes a displayed element for enabling the user to selectively scroll through the additional album covers of the same artist when more than the predetermined number of additional album covers exist.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein a valid registration further includes a valid registration number.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising communicating exploitation information to the server, concerning the number of executions of each played digitized song and the corresponding fee to be paid to the label, for each played digitized song.