Device and process for remote management of a network of audiovisual information reproduction systems

• US 7,512,632 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2003
• Issued: 03/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2000
• 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, Clement, Hugues
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CAM LINH T
• Application Number:
  US10/419,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20030208586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,170 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/104.1, 707/3, 707/10, 707/100
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/60 of audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/305 for record players
• 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 2240/125 Library distribution, i.e. distributing musical pieces from a central or master library
• 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 2240/241 Telephone transmission, i.e. using twisted pair telephone lines or any type of telephone network
• 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 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4586 Content update operation triggered locally, e.g. by comparing the version of software modules in a DVB carousel to the version stored locally deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction of the data by redundancy during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6137 involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/164 Coin-freed apparatus
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 : Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 : Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 : Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 : Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

Management device for a network of audiovisual information reproduction systems or jukeboxes, including a database with a plurality of sets of arrays, each array containing grouped information either about the composition of a jukebox, or the use of the jukebox, or the payment of fees. The database is managed by a computer server connected with the audiovisual information reproduction systems to receive messages sent by each audiovisual information reproduction device and containing information necessary to update determined sets of arrays in the database, and update data or the program for each audiovisual information reproduction device with information stored in at least one set of arrays in the database and transmitted in this message.

Claims

1. A method for managing a network of jukeboxes, said network comprising a server operable to connect to said jukeboxes, said method comprising:

connecting a jukebox to said network;

setting up a communications pathway between said jukebox and said server via the network;

generating, at the jukebox, at least management data concerning either a hardware component of the jukebox or a software or firmware component of the jukebox;

transferring said management data from the jukebox to the server;

processing said management data received from the jukebox at the server to identify the jukebox that is connected to the network, and to update, using said management data, at least one table in a database controlling central management of the jukeboxes of the network;

determining whether instructions for updating data in the jukebox are present in at least one group of tables in the database; and

if instructions for updating data in the jukebox are present, sending at least update instructions for the jukebox from the server to the jukebox.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said tables in said database comprise a plurality of arrays, said arrays comprising information relating to said management data, said information being relevant to the management of data in the jukeboxes in said network of jukeboxes.

3. A method for managing a network of jukeboxes, said network comprising a server operable to connect to said jukeboxes, said method comprising:

connecting a jukebox to said network;

setting up a communications pathway between said jukebox and said server via the network;

generating, at the jukebox, at least management data concerning either a hardware component of the jukebox or a software or firmware component of the jukebox;

transferring said management data from the jukebox to the server;

processing said management data received from the jukebox at the server to identify the jukebox that is connected to the network, and to update, using said management data, at least one table in a database controlling central management of the jukeboxes of the network;

determining whether instructions for updating data in the jukebox are present in at least one group of tables in the database;

determining whether it is appropriate to send instructions for updating data in the jukebox; and

if instructions for updating data in the jukebox are present, sending at least update instructions for the jukebox from the server to the jukebox.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said determining whether is it appropriate further includes determining whether a date or time for transmission of the instructions has been reached.

5. A method for managing a network of jukeboxes, said network comprising a server operable to connect to said jukeboxes, said method comprising:

connecting a jukebox to said network;

setting up a communications pathway between said jukebox and said server via the network;

generating, at the jukebox, at least management data concerning either a hardware component of the jukebox or a software or firmware component of the jukebox;

transferring said management data from the jukebox to the server;

processing said management data received from the jukebox at the server to identify the jukebox that is connected to the network, and to update, using said management data, at least one table in a database controlling central management of the jukeboxes of the network;

determining whether instructions for updating data in the jukebox are present in at least one group of tables in the database; and

if instructions for updating data in the jukebox are present, sending at least update instructions for the jukebox from the server to the jukebox when the jukebox connects to the server.