Audiovisual reproduction system

• US 8,127,324 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2008
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1998
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Saltarelli, Dominic D
• Application Number:
  US12/232,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20090037969A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,251 Days
• Field of Search: 725/5, 369/30.6, 709/219
• US Class Current: 725/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/305 for record players
• 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: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/40 Combinations of multiple record carriers
• 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 21/232 Content retrieval operation locally within server, e.g. reading video streams from disk arrays storage management G06F3/0604; details of querying and searching of video data from a database G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2542 for selling goods, e.g. TV shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25435 involving characteristics of content or additional data, e.g. video resolution or the amount of advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• 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 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6332 directed to client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/802 involving processing of the sound signal H04N9/806, H04N9/835 take precedence

Abstract

Audiovisual reproduction system comprising a central unit managing a sound control circuit, and a telecommunications modem connected to a distribution network controlled by a host server, through a multitask operating system created around a tools and services library, characterized in that the operating system comprises a function that adjusts the sound control circuit to couple volumes in the various areas in which the loudspeakers in the audiovisual reproduction system are used, this function being accessible through a management mode of the multitask operating system, the coupling maintaining the ratios between the various volumes in each area when the volume in one area is modified.

Claims

1. Audiovisual reproduction system comprising:

a central unit controlling a display,

a touch screen, and

a memory accessible via an operating system, the memory comprising a tools and services library,

wherein a module in the tools and services library is configured to provide access to an operator, to offer the manager of the audiovisual reproduction system a given number of credits, one credit corresponding to the fee necessary to select a digitally stored song, the number of credits being stored in a file as a credit reserve on the memory, the file being updated each time that the manager uses a credit and each time that the operator supplies one or more credits,

wherein credits supplied by the operator are usable within a given time range identified by a program module that displays a dedicated screen for selection of time ranges within which the credits in the reserve may be used.

2. Audiovisual reproduction system according to claim 1, wherein the credit reserve is accessible only when the manager enters a confidential code, the confidential code being requested prior to placing a credit in the credit reserve.

3. Audiovisual reproduction system according to claim 1, wherein the credit reserve is creditable by the operator only upon entry of a confidential code requested prior to crediting the credit reserve.

4. Audiovisual reproduction system according to claim 1, further comprising a sound control circuit being adjustable by a function to maintain ratios between volumes output in plural areas when the volume in one said area is modified.

5. Audiovisual reproduction system according to claim 4, wherein the volumes generated are programmably variable based on time of day.

6. Audiovisual reproduction system according to claim 5, wherein volume ranges are limitable by an operator so that a manager of the audiovisual reproduction system can only adjust the volumes within limited ranges.