Device and process for remote management of a network of audiovisual information reproduction systems

• US 8,655,922 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2012
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2000
• 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: Mastronardi, Tony, Clement, Hugues, Nathan, Goy
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CAM LINH T
• Application Number:
  US13/593,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20120323652A1
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• Field of Search: 707/688, 707/694, 707/695, 707/758, 707/791, 707/796, 707/802, 707/803, 707/804, 707/806, 707/807
• US Class Current: 707/802
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/60 of audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/305 for record players
• 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 2240/125 Library distribution, i.e. distributing musical pieces from a central or master library
• 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 2240/241 Telephone transmission, i.e. using twisted pair telephone lines or any type of telephone network
• 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 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4586 Content update operation triggered locally, e.g. by comparing the version of software modules in a DVB carousel to the version stored locally deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction of the data by redundancy during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6137 involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/164 Coin-freed apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 : Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 : Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 : Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 : Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

Management device for a network of audiovisual information reproduction systems or jukeboxes, including a database with a plurality of sets of arrays, each array containing grouped information either about the composition of a jukebox, or the use of the jukebox, or the payment of fees. The database is managed by a computer server connected with the audiovisual information reproduction systems to receive messages sent by each audiovisual information reproduction device and containing information necessary to update determined sets of arrays in the database, and update data or the program for each audiovisual information reproduction device with information stored in at least one set of arrays in the database and transmitted in this message.

Claims

1. A server device of a digital audiovisual distribution system, the digital audiovisual distribution system comprising a plurality of digital jukebox devices, the server device and the digital jukebox devices being connected to the digital audiovisual distribution system via respective network connections, the server device comprising:

a module involved in managing the digital jukebox devices; and

at least one processor configured at least to;

receive management data related to hardware, software, and/or firmware components of the digital jukebox devices, the management data having been generated at the respective digital jukebox devices;

process the received management data from the digital jukebox devices by identifying which digital jukebox device(s) the received management data corresponds to, updating the module, and locating update instructions for updating data in the identified digital jukebox device(s); and

transmit the located update instructions to the identified digital jukebox device(s) over the network in response to the processing.

2. The server device of claim 1, wherein the digital jukebox devices each include at least one processor configured to cause the respective digital jukebox device to generate the management data at a predetermined date and/or time.

3. The server device of claim 1, wherein the digital jukebox devices each include at least one processor configured to process update instructions transmitted thereto and cause updates to be installed.

4. The server device of claim 3, wherein updates are caused to be installed at a predetermined date and/or time.

5. The server device of claim 1, wherein the module includes a database comprising a plurality of tables including information relating to said management data.

6. The server device of claim 5, wherein at least a first table stores an indication of software that could be installed on the digital jukebox devices.

7. The server device of claim 6, wherein the indication of the software that could be installed on the digital jukebox devices includes a name and a version number of the software.

8. The server device of claim 5, wherein at least a second table stores an indication of software that is actually installed on the digital jukebox devices.

9. The server device of claim 5, wherein at least a third table stores an indication of hardware that could be installed on the digital jukebox devices.

10. The server device of claim 5, wherein at least a fourth table stores an indication of hardware that is actually installed on the digital jukebox devices.

11. The server device of claim 5, wherein at least a fifth table stores a description of incompatibilities as between different hardware and software components.

12. The server device of claim 5, wherein at least a sixth table stores a listing of all possible values for different operating and setting parameter sets for all digital jukebox devices connected to the digital audiovisual distribution system, each said value for a parameter set being identified by a unique number.

13. The server device of claim 5, wherein at least a seventh table stores passwords, prices of songs, remote control settings, and/or a number of free songs.

14. The server device of claim 5, wherein at least an eighth table stores a listing of songs available to each said digital jukebox device in the digital audiovisual distribution system.

15. The server device of claim 5, wherein at least a ninth table stores a description of all songs, artists and albums available for playback on the digital jukebox devices.

16. The server device of claim 5, wherein at least a tenth table stores information regarding one or more operator-specified filters optionally individually assignable to the digital jukebox devices on a device-by-device basis, the filters preventing a download of at least one song.

17. The server device of claim 5, wherein at least an eleventh table stores a history of usage of the digital jukebox devices.

18. The server device of claim 5, wherein at least a twelfth table stores operator information for each said digital jukebox device.

19. The server device of claim 5, wherein at least a thirteenth table stores an order in which update instructions are to be processed by the digital jukebox devices.

20. The server device of claim 5, wherein at least a fourteenth table stores promotion information, the promotion information including a list of songs subject to a promotion, as well as promotion start and end dates, and price modifications for the songs in the list subject to the promotion.