Digital jukebox device with karaoke and/or photo booth features, and associated methods

• US 10,032,149 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2015
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TouchTunes Music Corporation (The Octave Music Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TouchTunes Music Corporation (The Octave Music Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rivera, Ed, Tooker, Michael, Guy, Francois, Beaumier, Francois, Battle, Charles, Khenfir, Mounir, Garneau, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Diep, Nhon
• Application Number:
  US14/656,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20150189397A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,230 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/384 using social networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/305 for record players
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/365 the accompaniment information being stored on a host computer and transmitted to a reproducing terminal by means of a network, e.g. public telephone lines
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/106 using icons, e.g. selecting, moving or linking icons, on-screen symbols, screen regions or segments representing musical elements or parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/015 PDA [personal digital assistant] or palmtop computing devices used for musical purposes, e.g. portable music players, tablet computers, e-readers or smart phones in which mobile telephony functions need not be used touch-screen interfaces G10H2220/096
• 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 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2143 located in a single building, e.g. hotel, hospital or museum arrangements specially adapted for plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63; adaptations for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution in television systems H04N7/106
• 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 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4302 : Content synchronisation processes, e.g. decoder synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 : involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/439 : Processing of audio elementary streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 : communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 : comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format

Abstract

Certain exemplary embodiments relate to entertainment systems and, more particularly, certain exemplary embodiments relate to jukebox systems that incorporate digital downloading jukebox features along with karaoke jukebox and/or photo booth features. A combined karaoke/photo booth/jukebox may enable more integrated performance-like experiences in an in-home or out-of-home location or venue. By leveraging vast audio media libraries, trusted rights-respecting network infrastructure, and on-site image/video capturing from integrated recorders and/or remote portable devices, a more sociable experience may be created for karaoke jukebox patrons, e.g., where custom content can be generated and shared in a safe and legally appropriate manner.

Claims

1. A method of recording a live performance at a venue, the method comprising:

enabling a user to check in to the venue via an application running on a portable electronic device being operated by the user;

as a result of said check in, (1) synchronizing times as between a jukebox at the venue and the portable electronic device to determine a common time stamp for the jukebox and portable electronic device, (2) providing for the portable electronic device to access a karaoke song queue in the jukebox, and (3) providing for the portable electronic device to determine from the karaoke song queue a song upcoming in the live performance and a performer performing the song;

causing the portable electronic device to, responsive to receiving a user input in association with the song being indicated in the karaoke song queue accessed by the portable electronic device, capture at least video of the live performance;

receiving the captured video from the portable electronic device at a network location; and

at the network location, combining, with reference to the synchronized times in accordance with the determined common time stamp, selected clips of parts of the captured video with high-quality audio captured through an audio mixing board at the venue, in order to create a combined recording of the live performance, the selected clips being selected in accordance with at least one dynamically changing aspect of the live performance.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying digital effects to the high-quality audio captured through the audio mixing board.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing the portable electronic device to additionally capture low-quality audio data of the live performance via a microphone that is attached to or integral with the portable electronic device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising blending in, at a predetermined non-zero level, the low-quality audio data with the high-quality audio.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the live performance is a karaoke performance performed by a karaoke performer.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining how well the karaoke performer is performing by comparing aspects of the high-quality audio against a dominant melody line and/or a rhythm for a song being performed.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising generating a score for the performance based on the determination.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising causing the portable electronic device to additionally capture low-quality audio data of the live performance via a microphone that is attached to or integral with the portable electronic device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising blending in, at a predetermined non-zero level, the low-quality audio data with the high-quality audio.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the blending in incorporates ambient noise from the venue.

11. The method of claim 5, further comprising blending in, at a predetermined non-zero level, high quality audio corresponding to backup music for the karaoke performance.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the karaoke performance is mediated by a jukebox device provided at the venue.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the live performance is a musical concert.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising making the combined recording of the live performance available for download via a social networking site.

15. A system, comprising:

a digital jukebox device comprising processing resources including at least one processor and a memory, the processing resources being configured to cause the digital jukebox device to operate in standard jukebox and karaoke jukebox modes;

wherein the standard jukebox mode is programmed to cause the digital jukebox device to reproduce instances of media when corresponding payments have been made;

wherein the karaoke jukebox mode is programmed to cause the digital jukebox device to enable a karaoke performer to participate in a karaoke performance in which the karaoke performer sings a song through a first microphone connected to the digital jukebox device that is playing the song;

wherein the system further comprises;

a check-in module configured to enable a user to check in to a site where the digital jukebox device is located via an application running on a portable electronic device being operated by the user, the application, as a result of the check-in to the site, having access to a karaoke queue maintained by the digital jukebox device, the karaoke queue indicating the songs that are being sung;

a synchronization module configured to cause time to be synchronized to determine a common time stamp as between the digital jukebox device and the electronic device upon said a successful check-in operation performed in connection with the check-in module;

a computer readable medium configured to receive, via the application, at least video of the karaoke performance mediated by the jukebox captured by the electronic device; and

a mixer configured to combine, with reference to the synchronized times in accordance with the determined common time stamp, selected dips of parts of the captured video with high-quality audio captured by the first microphone connected to the jukebox and high-quality song audio corresponding to the song associated with the karaoke performance, in order to create a combined recording of the karaoke performance, the selected clips being selected in accordance with at least one dynamically changing aspect of the live performance.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a digital effects filter configured to apply digital effects to the high-quality audio captured by the first microphone.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the application is configured to cause the electronic device to capture low-quality audio data corresponding to the karaoke performance via a second microphone, the second microphone being attached to or integral with the electronic device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the mixer is further configured to blend in, at a predetermined non-zero level, the low-quality audio data with the high-quality audio captured by the first microphone and the high-quality song audio.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising a server configured to receive and make available for download the combined recording of the karaoke performance.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the combined recording of the karaoke performance is publishable to a social networking site.