Digital downloading jukebox system with central and local music servers

• US 10,373,142 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2015
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• 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): Kucab, Jamie R
• Application Number:
  US14/883,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20160034873A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,391 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/30 for musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/305 for record players
• 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 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• 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

Abstract

A digital downloading jukebox system including a central server and a plurality of remote jukebox devices each provided with a local server that preferably mirrors the central server and enables selected songs to be immediately downloaded to the jukebox for reproduction. The local server and jukebox may also provide, through control of the central server, song download services to other jukebox devices. The jukebox system may also act as a monitoring/management device for other coin operated equipment present in a location where the jukebox is located, thereby enabling the jukebox device to perform updates on other equipment under control of the central server.

Claims

1. A method of operating a jukebox having a processor, a digital memory storage, a payment receiving unit, and a plurality of output channels each of which is connected to a respective speaker located at a respectively different geographic zone in a multi-zone establishment, wherein a first output channel and at least a second output channel different from the first output channel are configured to simultaneously output different instances of media, the method comprising:

providing, using the processor and in the digital memory storage, a storage location storing a plurality of instances of media available for output on the jukebox;

configuring a first amount of money to be collected, using the payment receiving unit communicatively coupled to the processor, for playing one or more selected instances of media;

receiving, from a user input device communicatively coupled to the processor, input corresponding to a selection, by a jukebox user, of one or more of the plurality of output channels to which one or more of the selected one or more instances of media is/are to be output;

in response to the jukebox user selecting more than one of the output channels;

determine, based on how many of the output channels are selected by the jukebox user and timing of the playing of the selected one or more instances of media, an additional amount of money greater than the first amount of money to charge the jukebox user;

collect, using the payment receiving unit, an amount of money corresponding to the determined amount; and

outputting, using the processor, to the selected more than one of the output channels one or more of the selected one or more instances of media at the same time based on the input from the jukebox user and whether said collected amount of money is an appropriate amount of money.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving input from the jukebox user requesting that different selected instances of media be output to different output channels.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a queue of instances of media for each of the plurality of output channels.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating a non-priority queue and a priority queue with each said output channel;

maintaining each non-priority queue such that instances of media selected by users for playback on the associated output channel are stored in the order that they were selected by the one or more users; and

maintaining each priority queue such that instances of media selected by users for playback on the associated output channel are prioritized based on a predefined prioritization algorithm.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the prioritization algorithm specifies that an instance of media for which a greater amount of money was collected is given priority in the associated priority queue over another instance of media for which a lesser amount was collected by the collection mechanism.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising displaying an amount of money collected for each instance of media in the priority queue corresponding to one of the plurality of output channels.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the prioritization algorithms of more than one of the plurality of priority queues corresponding to more than one of the plurality of the output channels is configured to assign a same priority position in the respective lists to a specific instance of media selected for output on the more than one of the plurality of output channels to guarantee simultaneous play on the more than one of the plurality of output channels.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising charging an additional amount of money for guaranteeing simultaneous play.

9. A jukebox operable in an out-of-home location on a pay-for-play basis, comprising:

a storage location storing a plurality of instances of media available for output via the jukebox and a plurality of output channels;

the plurality of output channels which are configured to output instances of media and each of which is connected to a respective speaker located at a respectively different geographic zone in a multi-zone establishment, wherein a first output channel and at least a second output channel different from the first output channel are controllable to simultaneously output different instances of media;

at least one processor configured to present a user interface and control the jukebox to at least;

configure the jukebox to collect a first amount of money for playing one or more selected instances of media;

receive input corresponding to a selection, by a jukebox user, of one or more of the plurality of output channels to which one or more of the selected one or more instances of media is/are to be output, via the user interface;

in response to the jukebox user selecting more than one of the output channels;

determine, based on how many of the output channels are selected and timing of the playing of the selected one or more instances of media, an additional amount of money greater than the first amount of money to charge the jukebox user;

collect an amount of money corresponding to the determined amount; and

control the jukebox to output to the selected more than one of the output channels one or more of the selected one or more instances of media at the same time based on the input from the jukebox user and whether said collected amount of money is an appropriate amount of money.

10. The jukebox of claim 9, wherein the user interface is configured to receive input from the jukebox user requesting that different selected instances of media be output to different output channels.

11. The jukebox of claim 9, further comprising a queue of instances of media for each of the plurality of output channels.

12. The jukebox of claim 9, further comprising:

a non-priority queue and a priority queue associated with each said output channel;

each non-priority queue being maintained such that instances of media selected by users for playback on the associated output channel are stored in the order that they were selected by the one or more users; and

each priority queue being maintained such that instances of media selected by users for playback on the associated output channel are prioritized based on a predefined prioritization algorithm.

13. The jukebox of claim 12, wherein the prioritization algorithm specifies that an instance of media for which a greater amount of money was collected is given priority in the associated priority queue over another instance of media for which a lesser amount was collected by the collection mechanism.

14. The jukebox of claim 13, wherein the user interface is configured to display an amount of money collected for each instance of media in the priority queue corresponding to one of the plurality of output channels.

15. The jukebox of claim 12, wherein the prioritization algorithms of more than one of the plurality of priority queues corresponding to more than one of the plurality of the output channels is configured to assign a same priority position in the respective lists to a specific instance of media selected for output on the more than one of the plurality of output channels to guarantee simultaneous play on the more than one of the plurality of output channels.

16. The jukebox of claim 15, wherein the jukebox is further controlled to charge an additional amount of money for guaranteeing simultaneous play.