Intelligent digital audiovisual playback system

• US 7,574,727 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2002
• Issued: 08/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/1997
• 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): Kelley; Christopher
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown; Reuben M
• Application Number:
  US10/244,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20030041325A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,521 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/2, 713/100, 705 50- 59, 725131-134, 725139-142, 725151-153, 725/37, 725/100, 369/30.06, 369/24.01, 369/29.01, 369/30.04, 369/30.07, 369/30.08
• US Class Current: 725/100
• 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 1/0058 Transmission between separate instruments or between individual components of a musical system G10H1/0083 takes precedence
• 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 2240/181 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 2220/2545 CDs
• 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 31/006 with video camera or receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/93 : Wired transmission systems
• 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 21/26291 : for providing content or additional data updates, e.g. updating software modules, stored at the client deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41415 : involving a public display, viewable by several users in a public space outside their home, e.g. movie theatre, information kiosk
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 : embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4185 : for payment
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 : sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 : by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/433 : Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 : End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/60 : Network structure or processes for video distribution between server and client or between remote clients; Control signalling between clients, server and network components; Transmission of management data between server and client , e.g. sending from server to client commands for recording incoming content stream; Communication details between server and client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 : Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/818 : OS software
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 : between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/164 : Coin-freed apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 : Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

Payment-based audiovisual playback system characterized by comprising a microprocessor device associated with a payment device primarily including means for storing, inter alia, in digital format the visual and sound information to be used. The system is associated through interfaces with display means and sound playback means for providing a multimedia environment. The system is controlled by a multitask operating system including a tool and service library integrated into the storage means. The system, which is also associated through an interface with a telecommunications modem, is optionally connected to an audiovisual data distribution network by a telecommunications modem and telecommunications links, said telecommunications function also being controlled by said multitask operating system.

Claims

1. A jukebox system, comprising:

a jukebox device including a microprocessor, a mass memory that digitally stores audiovisual items that may be played on the jukebox device in response to requests by a user, a display for displaying video, an audio arrangement providing audio, a communication system connected to an audiovisual distribution server for enabling the jukebox device to communicate with said audiovisual distribution server for at least the digital distribution of digital data containing said audiovisual items, and a multitasking operating system that enables simultaneous operation of the microprocessor, the display, the audio arrangement and the communication system to operate in a user mode and/or in a manager mode;

wherein said jukebox device is operable to download, to said mass memory, said digitally distributed data containing audiovisual items;

wherein said jukebox device is provided with a registration mode, operating in manager mode, wherein the jukebox device is operable to perform system registration functions and is inoperable to play audiovisual items stored in the jukebox device, and a service mode wherein the jukebox device is operable to play said audiovisual items stored digitally on the mass memory storage upon selection by the user, said service mode being disabled when said jukebox device is in said registration mode and

a server remote to said jukebox device that can be accessed by said jukebox device through said distribution network and is operable to register said jukebox device in registration mode, by performing a registration process while in communication with said jukebox device, said registration process resulting in said disabled service mode being enabled so that said audiovisual items can be played on said jukebox device after registration and so that user and/or manager modes become operational;

wherein said jukebox device is designed to operate only in said registration mode when said jukebox device has not been registered by said server; and

said service mode including standalone operation of the jukebox device,

wherein said jukebox device is further provided with a management mode, said management mode providing an interface comprising management functions and including at least a display of usage statistics including a count of uses of any particular title choice to guide an owner in the selection of songs stored on the mass memory for retention or deletion.

2. The system of claim 1, and further wherein said jukebox device is configured such that said registration by said server is only valid for a predetermined period of time.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said jukebox device is operable to automatically attempt a new registration process with said server prior to an expiration of said predetermined period of time.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said jukebox device is operable to exit said service mode and enter said registration mode if said new registration process does not result in said jukebox device being re-registered by said server.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said audiovisual distribution network operates as a digital distribution system for said jukebox device, wherein said jukebox device is operable to digitally request audiovisual items.

6. The system of claim 1, further including a plurality of said audiovisual jukebox devices, each being configured to independently seek registration from said server for operation in said service mode.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said jukebox device is operable such that said registration is only valid for a predetermined period of time, and causing said jukebox device to exit said service mode and enter said registration mode upon expiration of said predetermined period of time.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said storage means stores a catalog of titles relating to available audiovisual item with corresponding fees, selection of a title automatically entailing internal processing which totals sums relative to the chosen title.