Audiovisual reproduction system

• US 10,104,410 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2015
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• 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): Dang, Hung
• Assistant Examiner(s): Park, Sunghyoun
• Application Number:
  US14/686,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20150220304A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,281 Days
• 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 method of operating an audiovisual reproduction system comprising a central unit controlling a display, a touch screen, and a memory accessible via an operating system, the audiovisual reproduction system being connected to a plurality of different audio zones and being configured to play back digital instances of media to one or more of the zones, the method comprising:

enabling an operator to access a module in a library of tools and services;

receiving input from an operator indicating whether some of the zones are to be coupled together in accordance with predetermined ratios between volumes output for the coupled zones via the module; and

in response to modification of volumes in any one of the coupled zones, adjusting a sound control circuit to change a volume output for any of the other coupled zones to maintain the predetermined ratios between volumes output for the coupled zones, wherein, when a maximum value of a volume output for any one of the coupled zones is reached, a volume output for any other one of the coupled zones is not increasable.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising requiring the operator to enter a first code before granting access to the module.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein volume ranges for the zones are specifiable by the operator.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein volumes for the zones are modifiable using the module.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising storing the ratios between volumes output for the coupled zones.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising, in response to modification of volumes in one of the coupled zones, automatically adjusting volumes of the coupled zones to maintain the stored ratios between volumes output for the coupled zones.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein modifications of the volumes for the zones are programmed into a program as functions of the time of day.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the program of the modifications of the volumes for the zones are stored in a file.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the file is downloaded onto the audiovisual reproduction system via a communications network.

10. The method of claim 4, further comprising modifying volumes for the zones based on input received from a manager of the audiovisual reproduction system.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the volumes are modified only after the manager has input a second code.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the volumes are modifiable within predefined limits.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the predefined limits are set by the operator, the operator and the manager being different parties.

14. An audiovisual system being connected to a plurality of different audio zones, and being configured to play back digital instances of media to one or more of the zones, the audiovisual system comprising:

a central unit controlling a display,

a touch screen,

a memory accessible via an operating system, and

a processor system comprising at least one processor, the processor system being configured to at least;

enable an operator to access a module in a library of tools and services;

receive input from an operator indicating whether some of the zones are to be coupled together in accordance with predetermined ratios between volumes output for the coupled zones via the module; and

in response to modification of volumes in any one of the coupled zones, adjust a sound control circuit to change a volume output for any of the other coupled zones to maintain the predetermined ratios between volumes output for the coupled zones;

wherein, when a maximum value of a volume output for any one of the coupled zones is reached, a volume output for any other one of the coupled zones is not increasable.

15. The audiovisual system of claim 14, wherein volumes for the zones are modifiable using the module.

16. The audiovisual system of claim 15, wherein the processor system is further configured to store the ratios between volumes output for the coupled zones.

17. The audiovisual system of claim 16, wherein the processor system is further configured to, in response to modification of the volumes in one of the coupled zones, automatically adjust volumes of the coupled zones to maintain the stored ratios between volumes output for the coupled zones.

18. The audiovisual system of claim 15, wherein the processor system is further configured to modify volumes for the zones based on input received from a manager of the audiovisual reproduction system.

19. The audiovisual system of claim 18, wherein the volumes are modified only after the manager has input a code.

20. The audiovisual system of claim 19, wherein the volumes are modifiable within predefined limits.