Jukebox entertainment system having multiple choice games relating to music

• US 8,052,512 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2010
• Issued: 11/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• 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): Shah; Milap
• Application Number:
  US12/923,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20110014962A1
• Time in Patent Office: 413 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/9, 463/25, 463 40- 43
• US Class Current: 463/9
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/53 involving additional visual information provided to the game scene, e.g. by overlay to simulate a head-up display [HUD] or displaying a laser sight in a shooting game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/409 Data transfer via television network
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/183 electric

Abstract

Entertainment system based on multiple choice competition games, characterized in that it comprises at least one terminal including connection means to a dedicated remote server (1), the system also comprising means of playing an extract of a recording with a configurable duration on at least one terminal (2, 3) comprising means of reproducing the recording, means of interaction with a user and means (21, 31) of connection with a dedicated remote server (1), means of asking a terminal user a question and suggesting multiple choice answers, the question being related to information characteristic of the extract of the recording, and the recording being selected by means independent of the terminal user.

Claims

1. A method of operating an entertainment system providing a multiple choice competition games, the method comprising:

providing a server;

providing at least one terminal operable to communicate with the server over a communications network, the at least one terminal including;

an audio system for playing, for the needs of a game, at least a portion of a musical recording,

a display that displays information in the form of a question and displays multiple choice answers to the question, wherein the question relates to the portion of musical recording that has been played,

a user interface that enables a user to select an answer from the displayed multiple choice answers, and

a scorer for recording the answer selected by the user and determining if the answer corresponds to a correct answer,

wherein the at least one terminal is configured to operate as a jukebox device, the at least one terminal including a storage device that stores a library of musical recordings that are playable on the terminal for a fee, the library of musical recordings being updated with additional musical recordings through communication with the server so as to define a customized library of musical recordings on the jukebox device; and

providing a game module to the entertainment system further, the game module being operable to automatically control, for the needs of the game, the updating of the customized library of musical recordings stored in the at least one jukebox device, with musical recordings stored on the server or on another jukebox device connected to the server, through communications of the jukebox devices with the server;

wherein the at least one jukebox system is operable to randomly select the musical recording to be used for the game from a subset of musical recordings in the customized library of musical recordings, each musical recording in the subset having information associated therewith indicating whether or not the musical recording can be used for the game, and

wherein the at least one jukebox device is operable to randomly display the question about the selected recording, to provide and display the correct answer relating to the question, and to randomly display a number of wrong answers relating to the question.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one terminal is operable to send information to the server regarding how the user performed during the game.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the server is operable to receive game performance information for a plurality of different users and rank the users according to their performance.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the server is operable to send user ranking information to the at least one terminal, and the at least one terminal is operable to display the ranking information.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising providing a plurality of terminals at a given venue, each of said terminals being operable to communicate with the server, and wherein the server is operable to receive performance information for any users who play the game on any of the terminals and to send user ranking information to each of the terminals.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the jukebox device is further operable to randomly select a question about the selected recording from a list of predetermined questions.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the jukebox device is further operable to randomly select a limited portion of the selected recording for playback to a user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the jukebox device is further operable to select a limited portion of the selected recording for playback to a user based on at least one predetermined criteria.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage device is configured to store information relating to each musical recording and wherein a random question relates to at least one category of information, wherein the random wrong answers are selected from within the same category stored in reference to different songs.

10. A method of operating an entertainment system, the method comprising:

providing at least one terminal configured to operate as a jukebox, the at least one terminal including a storage device operable to store an electronic library of musical recordings, the at least one terminal enabling a song selected by a user to be played;

providing a remote server operable to communicate with the at least one terminal via a communications network; and

providing a game module operable to automatically control, for the needs of the game, the updating of said library of musical recordings with additional musical recordings stored on the server or on another terminal, through communication of the terminals with said server to define a customized library of musical recordings,

wherein the at least one terminal is configured to enable the user to play a game related to said customized library of musical recordings,

wherein a display of the at least one terminal is operable to display information in the form of questions and possible answers related to a musical recording in said customized library,

wherein the at least one terminal includes program logic for providing scoring for said game based on answers to said questions provided by the user,

wherein the at least one terminal is operable to randomly select the musical recording to be used for the game from a subset of musical recordings in the customized library of musical recordings, each musical recording in the subset having information associated therewith indicating whether or not the musical recording can be used for the game, and

wherein the at least one terminal is operable to randomly generate and display a question about the selected recording, to display a correct answer relating to the question, and to randomly generate and display a number of wrong answers relating to the question.