Audiovisual reproduction system

• US 8,843,991 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2010
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1998
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Saltarelli, Dominic D
• Application Number:
  US12/801,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20100241259A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,575 Days
• Field of Search: 725/139
• US Class Current: 725/139
• 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. A jukebox system comprising a plurality of jukebox devices provided at different respective venues and connected to a distribution network controlled by a host server, at least some of said jukebox devices comprising:

a display, comprising a touch screen portion, operable to display at least a customer interface, wherein the customer interface comprises at least one displayed touch selectable option corresponding to at least one song for selecting the corresponding song to be played;

a memory operable to store at least songs that may be played on the jukebox device in response to selections from a customer;

an audio reproduction system operable to provide audio;

a communication system for enabling the respective jukebox device to communicate with the distribution network;

a fee payment device for accepting payment of a fee; and

a multi-tasking operating system,

wherein each of these jukebox devices is configured to download from the distribution network instructions ordering each of these jukebox devices to (a) interrupt an ordinary pay-for-play mode thereof and (b) instead play one or more songs from the memory of the respective jukebox devices at one or more specified times,

wherein the multi-tasking operating system of each of these jukebox devices is configured to cause the playback of the one or more songs residing on the memory of the respective jukebox at the one or more specified times based on the downloaded instructions, in response to the downloaded instructions being stored to and read from the memory of the respective jukebox device, and

wherein the instructions (a) are downloaded to a partial subset of the jukebox devices connected to the distribution network, the partial subset depending on first predefined criteria, the first predefined criteria being geographic proximity to a concert to be given by an artist who performs the one or more songs;

(b) specify the one or more songs to be played based on second predefined criteria, the second predefined criteria being an indication that a song is performed by an artist for whom a promotion is to be run; and

/or (c) indicate the one or more specified times, the one or more specified times corresponding to one or more times on one or more dates of a musical release by an artist who performs the one or more songs and/or one or more times on one or more dates close to a date on which a concert given by an artist who performs the one or more songs is to be held.

2. A method of operating a jukebox system comprising a plurality of jukebox devices provided at different respective venues and connected to a distribution network controlled by a host server and each including a display comprising a touch screen portion operable to display at least a customer interface, wherein the customer interface comprises at least one displayed touch selectable option, corresponding to at least one song, for selecting the corresponding song to be played;

a memory operable to store at least songs that may be played on the jukebox device in response to selections from a customer;

an audio reproduction system operable to provide audio;

a communication system for enabling the jukebox device to communicate with the distribution network;

a fee payment device for accepting payment of a fee; and

a multi-tasking operating system, the method comprising;

sending, to a partial subset of the jukebox devices, instructions ordering each said jukebox device in the partial subset to temporarily cease pay-for-play operations thereon and to play one or more songs at one or more specified times;

specifying (a) the jukebox devices to which the instructions to be sent based on geographic proximity to a concert to be given by an artist who performs the one or more songs, (b) the one or more songs based on an indication that a song is performed by an artist for whom a promotion is to be run, and/or (c) the one or more specified times corresponding to one or more times on one or more dates of a musical release by an artist who performs the one or more songs and/or one or more times on one or more dates close to a date on which a concert given by an artist who performs the one or more songs is to be held; and

causing the partial subset of the jukebox devices to play the one or more songs at the one or more specified times from the memory of the respective jukebox device in dependence on the instructions and in response to the instructions being sent and stored to, and subsequently read while residing on a storage medium of, the respective jukeboxes.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising causing the simultaneous playback of the one or more songs on the one or more dates based on the instructions.