Digital downloading jukebox system with user-tailored music management, communications, and other tools

• US 8,751,611 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2013
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2002
• 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, Dion, Dominique
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Ian N
• Assistant Examiner(s): TANG, KIET G
• Application Number:
  US14/139,385
• Publication Number:
  US 20140108106A1
• Time in Patent Office: 169 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219, 725/61, 455/414, 345/345
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/64 Browsing; Visualisation therefor generation of a list or set of audio data G06F16/638
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/686 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, title or artist information, time, location or usage information, user ratings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/22 Payment schemes or models
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 13/00 Voting apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/025 'Virtual' control panels, e.g. Graphical User Interface [GUI]
• 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 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/441 Acquiring end-user identification , e.g. using personal code sent by the remote control or by inserting a card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• 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 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4784 receiving rewards
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 : comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 : Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits

Abstract

A digital downloading jukebox system including a mechanism for delivering custom services to a recognized user, including services for creating playlists, communicating with others, accessing other features, etc. is provided. In some exemplary embodiments, after a user is recognized, the jukebox system allows users to access a special front-end via an Internet-enabled device or on an actual jukebox. Then, the user may, for example, create playlists, share songs with friends, send messages to friends, and access other value-added content. Such a system preferably learns about networks of friends, and enables managers to send similar messages to regular customers and/or others known to the system. In some exemplary embodiments, changes via a first user interface on a first device are reflected on second user interface on other properly-configured devices.

Claims

1. A method for playing music in an out-of-home pay-for-play establishment from a catalog of playable songs, the method comprising:

enabling a plurality of registered users to execute respective login operations via respective mobile devices to indicate that the respective users are present at the out-of-home pay-for-play establishment;

in response to logged-in registered users selecting songs, collecting credits and adding the selected songs to a queue of songs to be played back at the out-of-home pay-for-play establishment, at least a portion of the queue being displayable for the registered users; and

receiving, from logged-in registered users via their respective mobile devices, votes on the songs in the displayable portion of the queue, wherein tallied counts of votes placed by logged-in registered users are displayable to logged-in registered users;

causing songs from the queue to be played at the out-of-home pay-for-play establishment,

wherein the portion of the queue and the tallied counts of votes are displayable in a single screen view on mobile devices that the logged-in registered users used to execute their respective login operations, the single screen view further including an indication of a currently playing song at the out-of-home pay-for-play establishment, and an identifier of a user who selected the currently playing song if any, for the out-of-home pay-for-play establishment,

wherein the portion of the queue, the tallied counts of votes, the indication of the currently playing song, and the identifier of the user who selected the currently playing song if any, for the out-of-home pay-for-play establishment is displayable on a standalone display.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting an order of the songs in the queue based on the received votes.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the votes can be either votes for or votes against a song.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

tallying the votes for and the votes against each song in the queue; and

displaying the tallied votes for and the tallied against each song.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising influencing the queue based on the tallied votes for and the tallied against each song.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the votes only can be votes for a song.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying an indication of a currently playing song.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising displaying an identifier of the user who selected the currently playing song.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising displaying an identifier of a registered user who voted for the currently playing song.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising displaying an identifier of a registered user who voted for the currently playing song.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising limiting the number of votes a logged-in registered user can place.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a display including the portion of the queue and an indication of a currently playing song for the mobile devices of the logged-in registered users.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the generated display further includes an identifier of the user who selected the currently playing song and an identifier of a registered user who voted for the currently playing song.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising tallying votes for and votes against each song in the queue, wherein the generated display further includes the tallied votes for and the tallied against each song.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising outputting at least some of the contents of the generated display on the standalone display device.

16. A portable electronic device operable by a user to play music in an out-of-home pay-for-play establishment from a catalog of playable songs, comprising:

a display;

at least one processor configured to at least;

enable the user to execute a login operation to indicate that the user is present at the out-of-home pay-for-play establishment;

in response to the user selecting a song, collect a number of credits in exchange for the selected song being added to a queue of songs to be played back at the out-of-home pay-for-play establishment;

output to the display of the portable electronic device at least a portion of the queue at the out-of-home pay-for-play establishment;

receive from the user one or more votes in connection with one or more songs in the displayed portion of the queue, wherein tallied counts of votes placed by other logged-in registered users are displayable to the user;

wherein songs from the queue are played at the out-of-home pay-for-play establishment,

wherein the portion of the queue and the tallied counts of votes are displayable in a single screen view on the display of the portable electronic device the user used to execute the login operation, the single screen view further including an indication of a currently playing song at the out-of-home pay-for-play establishment, and an identifier of a user who selected the currently playing song if any, for the out-of-home pay-for-play establishment,

wherein the portion of the queue, the tallied counts of votes, the indication of the currently playing song, and the identifier of the user who selected the currently playing song if any, for the out-of-home pay-for-play establishment is displayable on a standalone display, and

wherein the catalog of songs is restrictable such that only a partial subset of songs is available for selection by logged-in registered users at the out-of-home pay-for-play establishment.

17. The portable electronic device of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to at least output to the display tallied counts of votes placed by a plurality of patrons at the out-of-home pay-for-play establishment in connection with the songs in the displayed portion of the queue.

18. The portable electronic device of claim 17, wherein the tallied counts include tallied counts of votes for, and separate tallied counts of votes against, each song that has been voted on.

19. The portable electronic device of claim 17, wherein the tallied counts combine votes for and votes against each song that has been voted on.

20. The portable electronic device of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to at least output to the display an indication of a currently playing song and an identifier of a user who selected the currently playing song.

21. A digital audio reproduction system operable to play music in an out-of-home pay-for-play establishment from a catalog of playable songs, the system comprising:

an audio output circuit; and

at least one processor configured to at least;

enable a plurality of users to execute login operations to indicate that the respective users are present at the out-of-home pay-for-play establishment;

in response to a logged-in registered user selecting a song, collect a number of credits from the logged-in registered user in exchange for the selected song being added to a queue of songs to be played back at the out-of-home pay-for-play establishment, at least a portion of the queue being made visible to logged-in registered users;

receive from logged-in registered users votes in connection with one or more songs in a displayed portion of the queue, wherein tallied counts of votes placed by logged-in registered users are also made visible to logged-in registered users; and

cause songs from the queue to be played using the audio output circuit,

wherein the portion of the queue and the tallied counts of votes are displayable in a single screen view on mobile devices that the logged-in registered users used to execute their respective login operations, the single screen view further including an indication of a currently playing song at the respective out-of-home pay-for-play establishment, and an identifier of a user who selected the currently playing song if any, for the out-of-home pay-for-play establishment,

wherein the portion of the queue, the tallied counts of votes, the indication of the currently playing song, and the identifier of the user who selected the currently playing song if any, for the out-of-home pay-for-play establishment is displayable on a standalone display, and

wherein the catalog of songs is restrictable such that only a partial subset of songs is available for selection by logged-in registered users at the out-of-home pay-for-play establishment.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to at least cause tallied counts of votes placed by logged-in registered users to be displayed adjacent to corresponding song entries in the displayed portion of the queue.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the tallied counts include tallied counts of votes for, and separate tallied counts of votes against, each song.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to at least cause an indication of a currently playing song and an identifier of a user who selected the currently playing song to be displayed.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to at least influence the queue based on the tallied counts.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising a standalone display device controllable to output the tallied counts of votes placed by logged-in registered users adjacent to the corresponding song entries in the displayed portion of the queue, the indication of the currently playing song, and the identifier of the user who selected the currently playing song to be displayed.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein a display is generatable for output on mobile devices that the logged-in registered users used to execute respective login operations, the generatable display including the tallied counts of votes placed by logged-in registered users adjacent to the corresponding song entries in the displayed portion of the queue, the indication of the currently playing song, and the identifier of the user who selected the currently playing song to be displayed.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein the partial subset of songs is selectable by a proprietor of the out-of-home pay-for-play establishment.

29. A digital audio reproduction system operable to play music at a plurality of out-of-home pay-for-play establishments, the system comprising a catalog of playable songs, each out-of-home pay-for-play establishment comprising:

at least one processor configured to at least;

enable a plurality of users to execute login operations to indicate that the respective users are present at the respective out-of-home pay-for-play establishment;

in response to a logged-in registered user selecting a song, collect a number of credits from the logged-in registered user in exchange for the selected song being added to a queue of songs to be played back at the respective out-of-home pay-for-play establishment, at least a portion of the queue being made visible to logged-in registered users;

receive from logged-in registered users at the respective out-of-home pay-for-play establishment votes in connection with one or more songs in the visible portion of the queue of the respective out-of-home pay-for-play establishment, wherein tallied counts of votes placed by logged-in registered users are also made visible to logged-in registered users; and

cause songs from the queue to be played at the respective out-of-home pay-for-play establishment,

wherein, for each said out-of-home pay-for-play establishment, the portion of the queue and the tallied counts of votes are displayable in a single screen view on mobile devices that the logged-in registered users used to execute their respective login operations, the single screen view further including an indication of a currently playing song at the respective out-of-home pay-for-play establishment, and an identifier of a user who selected the currently playing song if any, for the respective out-of-home pay-for-play establishment,

wherein at least some of said out-of-home pay-for-play establishments include a standalone display controllable to output the portion of the queue, the tallied counts of votes, the indication of the currently playing song, and the identifier of the user who selected the currently playing song if any, for those respective out-of-home pay-for-play establishments, and

wherein the catalog of songs is restrictable on an out-of-home pay-for-play establishment by out-of-home pay-for-play establishment basis such that only partial subsets of songs are available for selection by logged-in registered users at out-of-home pay-for-play establishments where the catalog of songs has been correspondingly restricted.