Entertainment process based on competition games with multiple choices

• US 8,696,423 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2012
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2000
• 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: Nathan, Guy, Mastronardi, Tony
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Milap
• Application Number:
  US13/632,462
• Publication Number:
  US 20130040715A1
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/9, 463/25, 463 40- 43, 273/236, 273/237, 273/301, 273/429, 273/430, 273459-461, 434/322, 434/33, 434/335, 434/336, 434350-352, 705/1, 705/10, 705/14, 700/74, 345/716, 345/727, 84600-604
• 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 providing a multiple choice competition game in connection with a jukebox terminal that is in communication with a server over a communications network, wherein the jukebox terminal has access to a storage device that stores a library of musical recordings that are playable via the jukebox terminal for a fee, the library of musical recordings being updatable with additional musical recordings through communication with the server so as to define a customized library of musical recordings on the jukebox terminal, the method comprising:

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

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

receiving, via a user interface, a user'"'"'s selection of an answer from the displayed multiple choice answers;

recording the answer selected by the user and whether the answer corresponds to a correct answer;

automatically causing, for the needs of the game, an update to the customized library of musical recordings stored in the storage device based on musical recordings stored on the server and/or on another jukebox terminal connected to the server;

randomly selecting 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

displaying the correct answer relating to the question and a number of wrong answers relating to the question.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending information to the server from the jukebox terminal 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, further comprising receiving, at the jukebox terminal and from the server, user ranking information.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising displaying the ranking information via the jukebox terminal.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the jukebox terminal is operable to communicate with the server to receive, from the server, user ranking information sent to the server from a plurality of other jukebox terminals.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising randomly selecting a question about the selected recording from a list of predetermined questions.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising randomly selecting a limited portion of the selected recording for playback to a user.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a limited portion of the selected recording for playback to a user based on at least one predetermined criteria.

10. 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.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the random wrong answers are selected from within the same category stored in reference to different songs.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a log file is updated every time an extract of a recording is reproduced in connection with the game.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the log file includes an identification of the selected recording and a number of times that the selected recording has been played.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising transmitting the log file to the server, the server being configured to calculate royalties in dependence on information stored in the log file.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising reading a parameter file indicating a degree of difficulty of a question.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising presenting questions of different degrees of difficulty to different users based on respective classifications of said users.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein users of the jukebox terminal are classified as a function of scores that they have achieved.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the function balances factors including question types, difficulty of questions answered, and/or current user classification.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising asking questions to users based on degrees of difficulty associated with the questions and current classifications of the users, the classifications being based on scores previously earned by the users.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is displayed via a display of the jukebox terminal.