Remote management system for at least one audiovisual information reproduction device

• US 7,996,873 B1
• Filed: 06/01/2000
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/1999
• 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: Bourdelais, Jean-Marc, Nathan, Guy, Mastronardi, Tony
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry; Hunter B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chowdhury; Sumaiya A
• Application Number:
  US09/584,797
• Time in Patent Office: 4,086 Days
• Field of Search: 725/1, 725/5, 725/110, 725/118, 725/78, 725/80, 725/139, 725/141, 725/144, 725/146, 725/100, 725 91- 93, 725/114, 725/116, 345/440, 345/734, 345/764, 345/781, 709209-224, 709/208, 381/103
• US Class Current: 725/91
• 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: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format

Abstract

System for remote management of at least one audiovisual information reproduction device comprising a host server (10) connected to each audiovisual information reproduction device (100.1 to 100.n), the host server (10) comprising a database (11) containing management information for each audiovisual information reproduction device (100.1 to 100.n, FIG. 1), characterized in that the host server (10) also comprises an “Internet” site manager (12) communicating with the database (11), and comprising a number of screens (200 to 1010), at least one first screen (200) comprising a popup menu displaying the list of audiovisual information reproduction systems (100.1 to 100.n), validating the choice of each audiovisual information reproduction device (100.1 to 100.n, FIG. 1) causing the display of a first series of screens (900, 1010) that the operator can use to modify the operating parameters of at least one selected audiovisual information reproduction device (100.1 to 100.n, FIG. 1) and/or a second series of screens (500 to 800) that the operator can use to order at least one song for downloading onto the audiovisual information reproduction systems (100.1 to 100.n, FIG. 1) from a chosen list of devices (100.1 to 100.n, FIG. 1) or to delete at least one song, and/or a third series of screens displaying information about the use of an audiovisual information reproduction device (100.1 to 100.n, FIG. 1).

Claims

1. A system for remote management of at least one audio-visual information reproduction device comprising a central server connected to the telecommunication means of each audio-visual information reproduction device, the central server comprising storage means for storing a database comprising, for each audio-visual information reproduction device, all the management information and all the audio-visual information available, wherein:

the database comprises all the configurations of operating parameters of each audio-visual information reproduction device,

the central server further comprises an “

Internet”

site manager communicating with the database,

the “

Internet”

site is accessible by an operator responsible for managing at least one audio-visual information reproduction device, and comprising a plurality of screens, at least one first screen comprising a drop-down menu displaying a list of the audio-visual information reproduction devices installed locally for which information relating to use is available,

validation of the choice of each selected audio-visual information reproduction device causes the display of a first series of screens allowing the modification, by the operator, of the operating parameters of at least one audio-visual information reproduction device, and

wherein said modification of the operating parameters is obtained by;

generating a file of modification commands by the server using information from the database

sending, via the server to the devices concerned, the file of modification commands when the devices are connected, and

receiving and executing the file of modification commands by the devices concerned.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein validation of the choice, on the first screen, of each selected audio-visual information reproduction device also causes the display of (a) a second series of screens allowing the operator to order at least one song to upload the audio-visual information associated with the song to the audio-visual information reproduction systems of a chosen list of devices or to remove at least one audio-visual recording, and/or (b) a third series of screens displaying management information relating to the use of an audio-visual information reproduction device.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the third series of screens comprises at least one screen comprising a window displaying the list of the audio-visual information played by the audio-visual information reproduction device as well as the date on which each audio-visual information was played, and/or at least one screen comprising a window indicating the date(s) on which the audio-visual information reproduction device was switched off and/or on, and/or a window indicating the date(s) on which communication between the audio-visual information reproduction device and the central server was stopped.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein information relating to the operation of each audio-visual information reproduction device displayed in each screen, as well as the list of audio-visual information available, is collected by the “

Internet”

site manager in the database.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the modifications carried out by the operator in the first and/or second series of screens are stored in a file and translated into the language of the database in order to update the modified data in these series of screens and to update each audio-visual information reproduction device concerned with the modifications as soon as communication is established between the central server and each audio-visual information reproduction device.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the “

Internet”

site manager comprises means for authenticating the operating intended to limit access by the operator to the audio-visual information reproduction systems that it manages.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the screens from the first and second series of screens comprise a toolbar comprising a plurality of select buttons triggering either the display of a screen from the first or second series of screens, or validation of the operations carried out on the screen currently being displayed.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein a first select button of the toolbar triggers the display of a third screen comprising a first window displaying information relating to the installation of the audio-visual information reproduction device chosen by the operator, and a data entry zone for updating the information displayed in the first window, if necessary.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein a second select button of the toolbar triggers the display of a fourth screen from the second series of screens comprising a plurality of data entry zones intended to define selection criteria for selecting audio-visual information, the list of corresponding audio-visual information being first collected from the database by sending a request from the site manager containing the criteria chosen by the operator via the data entry zones, and then displayed in a scrolling window of the screen.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein validation of the choice of a audio-visual information selected from the scrolling window of the fourth screen triggers the display of a fifth screen comprising a plurality of fields containing elements for identifying the selected audio-visual information, a scrolling window displaying a list of the audio-visual information reproduction devices managed by the operator, a first selection zone validating, by a request sent to the site manager, the purchase of the selected audio-visual information for the audio-visual information reproduction devices selected by the operator from the scrolling window, and a second selection zone again triggering the display of the fourth screen.

11. The system according to claim 7, wherein a third select button of the toolbar triggers the display of a sixth screen comprising first at plurality of fields containing information relating to the use of the audio-visual information reproductive device chosen by the operator, then a first and second scrolling window, respectively, containing a list of the audio-visual information that are to be uploaded to or removed from the audio-visual information reproduction device chosen by the operator, and lastly a first and second selection zone, respectively, triggering the cancellation of the download or removal of one or more audio-visual information selected beforehand by the operator from the first or second scrolling window, respectively.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the second window also comprises the list of audio-visual information already stored on the audio-visual information reproduction device.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the system comprises a magnetic or optical recording system so that the audio-visual information selected by the operator are recorded onto a portable magnetic or optical medium.

14. The system according to claim 7, wherein a fourth select button of the toolbar triggers the display of a seventh screen comprising a plurality of fields containing information relating to the usage statistics of the information reproduction device chosen by the operator, a first and second scrolling window, respectively, containing a list of the audio-visual information that are the most or the least played, respectively, on the audio-visual information reproduction device chosen by the operator, the seventh screen also comprises a selection zone triggering the removal of the audio-visual information selected by the operator from the second scrolling window.

15. The system according to claim 7, wherein a fifth select button of the toolbar triggers the display of a screen comprising a first series of data entry zones allowing the operator to choose, select or enter a price by zone and a second series of data entry zones allowing the operator to choose, select or enter, for each price, the number of possible selections after payment of the price.

16. The system according to claim 7, wherein the eighth screen comprises a plurality of data entry zones, making it possible to choose, select or enter the parameters for adjusting the sound reproduction means for the audio-visual information reproduction device chosen by the operator.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the recording of the audio-visual information on the portable magnetic or optical medium is carried out in a compressed format and encrypted, the audio-visual information being uncompressed and decrypted only when the audio-visual information is performed on an audio-visual information reproduction device.

18. The system according to claim 7, wherein a sixth select button of the toolbar triggers the display of a ninth screen comprising a window displaying all of the modifications carried out by the operator when connected to the Internet site managed by the site manager, a first selection zone triggering the validation of all the operations displayed in the first window and a second selection zone cancelling all these modifications.

19. The system according to claim 7, wherein a seventh select button triggers the display of a screen comprising at least one selection zone making it possible to activate or deactivate a particular function of the audio-visual information reproduction device.

20. The system according to claim 7, wherein an eighth button of the toolbar triggers the display of a screen intended to define a basic default configuration of all or some of the audio-visual information reproduction devices managed by the operator.

21. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second series of screens comprises a screen comprising a first selection menu for the category of audio-visual information wanted by the operator, a second selection menu for the style of audio-visual information wanted by the operator and a selection zone validating the choice of the operator in order to trigger the display of a second screen comprising a first window displaying the list of the audio-visual information corresponding to the category and style selected by the operator, a second window displaying the list of the audio-visual information selected by the operator form the list in the first window and a selection zone validating the choice of the operator.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein the list of displayed audio-visual information is collected from the database from among the most played audio-visual information on all the jukeboxes of the operator or from among the most played audio-visual information on all the jukeboxes managed by the server or from among the most played audio-visual information on all the jukeboxes installed in establishments in a given category.

23. The system according to claim 1, wherein the operating parameters of each audio-visual information reproduction device correspond to internal functions of each said audio-visual information reproduction device.

24. The system according to claim 23, wherein the operating parameters include a cost of each selection, sound settings, level of the microphone, authorization to use a remote controller, authorization to switch between selections during reproduction of a selection, authorization to use free credits, and activation/inactivation of internal functions of the audio-visual information reproduction device.