Remote management system for at least one audiovisual information reproduction device

• US 8,479,240 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2011
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• 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: Nathan, Guy, Mastronardi, Tony, Bourdelais, Jean-Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Kristine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Sumaiya A
• Application Number:
  US13/151,771
• Publication Number:
  US 20110298938A1
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 725/80, 725/139, 725/141, 725/144, 725 91- 93, 725/116, 725/146, 709/208
• 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

Method for remote management of at least one audiovisual information reproduction device comprising a host server connected to each audiovisual information reproduction device, the host server comprising a database containing management information for each audiovisual information reproduction device, wherein the host server also comprises a site manager communicating with the database, and comprising a number of screens, at least one first screen comprising a menu displaying the list of audiovisual information reproduction systems, validating the choice of each audiovisual information reproduction device causing the display of a first series of screens that the operator can use to modify the operating parameters of at least one selected audiovisual information reproduction device and/or a second series of screens that the operator can use to order at least one song for downloading onto the audiovisual information reproduction systems from a chosen list of devices 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.

Claims

1. A method for remotely managing at least one audio-visual information reproduction device connected to a central server, the central server comprising a database including, for each audio-visual information reproduction device, management information, available audiovisual information, and configurations of operating parameters, the method comprising at the central server:

when receiving a request by an operator responsible for managing at least one said audio-visual information reproduction device, selectively serving a plurality of display screens, at least one first display screen comprising a list of audio-visual information reproduction devices installed locally for which information relating to use is available;

enabling the operator to modify the operating parameters of one or more operator-selected locally installed audio-visual information reproduction devices displayed in the list;

upon a user modification to the operating parameters of the one or more operator-selected locally installed audio-visual information reproduction devices;

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

sending to each said operator-selected locally installed audio-visual information reproduction device the file of modification commands;

causing the file of modification commands to be received and executed by each said operator-selected locally installed audio-visual information reproduction device;

determining whether instructions for updating data in the audio-visual information reproduction device are present in at least one group of tables in the database; and

if instructions for updating data in the audio-visual information reproduction device are present, sending at least update instructions for the audio-visual information reproduction device from the server to the audio-visual information reproduction device.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising upon selection via the first display screen of one or more locally installed audio-visual information reproduction devices:

displaying one or more second display screens that enable the operator to select at least one song; and

updating audio-visual information associated with each said operator-selected locally installed audio-visual information reproduction device by either (a) allowing the song to be played back on each said operator-selected locally installed audio-visual information reproduction device, or (b) disallowing the song to be played back on each said operator-selected locally installed audio-visual information reproduction device,

wherein (a) or (b) is based on an operator selection.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising upon selection via the first display screen of one or more locally installed audio-visual information reproduction devices:

displaying one or more third display screens that enable the operator to adjust management information for each said operator-selected locally installed audio-visual information reproduction device; and

causing the adjustment of the management information in each said operator-selected locally installed audio-visual information reproduction device.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the first, second, and third display screens each include a first user-operable element enabling the operations carried out on the screen currently being displayed to be verified.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the first, second, and/or third display screens include a second user-operable element enabling information relating to the installation of the audio-visual information reproduction device chosen by the operator to be displayed and updated if altered by the operator.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the first, second, and/or third display screens include a third user-operable element enabling the operator to define selection criteria for selecting audio-visual information, and further comprising:

collecting corresponding audio-visual information from the database by sending a request including the selection criteria input by the operator; and

displaying the collected corresponding audio-visual information.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein the first, second, and/or third display screens include a fourth user-operable element that, when actuated by the operator, causes the display of usage statistics of one or more information reproduction devices selected by the operator.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the usage statistics specify songs that are played the most and/or the least on selected audio-visual information reproduction devices.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising upon selection via the first display screen of one or more locally installed audio-visual information reproduction devices:

displaying one or more third display screens that enable the operator to adjust management information for each said operator-selected locally installed audio-visual information reproduction device; and

causing the adjustment of the management information in each said operator-selected locally installed audio-visual information reproduction device.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising collecting, via a module of the central server, information relating to the operation of each said audio-visual information reproduction device.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

storing data representing operator-initiated modifications in a file;

translating the data into a language of the database; and

updating the database and each audio-visual information reproduction device for which a modification has been made based on the translated data.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising authenticating the operator prior to said enabling.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving input from the operator regarding a price per zone for playback of a selected song.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving input from the operator corresponding to a function of a selected one or more audio-visual information reproduction devices to be either activated or deactivated.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving input from the operator corresponding to a default configuration of all or some of the audio-visual information reproduction devices managed by the operator.

16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving input regarding a category of audio-visual information requested by the operator so that items in the category may be subsequent displayed to the operator.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising displaying the items in the category, the items being 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.

18. The method according to claim 1, further comprising displaying a list of songs played by one or more operator-selected the audio-visual information reproduction devices, along with a date on which each song was played.

19. The method 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.

20. The method according to claim 19, 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.