Device and process for remote management of a network of audiovisual information reproduction systems

• US 7,996,438 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2008
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2000
• 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: Clement, Hugues, Nathan, Guy, Mastronardi, Tony
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CAM LINH T
• Application Number:
  US12/230,254
• Publication Number:
  US 20090070341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• Field of Search: 707/792, 707/802, 707/803, 707/807
• US Class Current: 707/802
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/60 of audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/305 for record players
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0058 Transmission between separate instruments or between individual components of a musical system G10H1/0083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/125 Library distribution, i.e. distributing musical pieces from a central or master library
• 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: G10H 2240/241 Telephone transmission, i.e. using twisted pair telephone lines or any type of telephone network
• 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 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4586 Content update operation triggered locally, e.g. by comparing the version of software modules in a DVB carousel to the version stored locally deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction of the data by redundancy during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6137 involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/164 Coin-freed apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 : Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 : Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 : Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 : Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

Management device for a network of audiovisual information reproduction systems or jukeboxes, including a database with a plurality of sets of arrays, each array containing grouped information either about the composition of a jukebox, or the use of the jukebox, or the payment of fees. The database is managed by a computer server connected with the audiovisual information reproduction systems to receive messages sent by each audiovisual information reproduction device and containing information necessary to update determined sets of arrays in the database, and update data or the program for each audiovisual information reproduction device with information stored in at least one set of arrays in the database and transmitted in this message.

Claims

1. An digital audiovisual distribution system, comprising:

a network;

a server; and

a plurality of jukeboxes connectable to the server via respective communications pathways across the network;

wherein the server comprises a database responsible for central management of the plurality of jukeboxes, and

wherein each said jukebox includes instructions tangibly stored on a computer-readable storage medium which, when executed by a processor provided to the jukebox, cause the jukebox at least to;

generate, at the jukebox, at least management data concerning at least one of a hardware, software, or firmware component of the jukebox,

transfer said management data from the jukebox to the server, and

receive update instructions for the jukebox from the server to the jukebox in response to the server receiving and processing the management data from the jukebox, the processing of the management data by the server including identifying the jukebox, updating the database, and locating the update instructions for updating data in the jukebox.

2. The digital audiovisual distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the database comprises a plurality of tables including a plurality of arrays containing information relating to said management data, said information being relevant to the management of data in the jukeboxes in the digital audiovisual distribution system.

3. The digital audiovisual distribution system according to claim 1, wherein each said jukebox includes further instructions which, when executed, cause the jukebox at least to generate the management data at a predetermined date and/or time.

4. The digital audiovisual distribution system according to claim 1, wherein each said jukebox includes further instructions which, when executed, cause the jukebox at least to install the received update instructions.

5. The digital audiovisual distribution system according to claim 4, wherein each said jukebox includes further instructions which, when executed, cause the jukebox at least to install the received update instructions at a predetermined date and/or time.

6. A digital jukebox, comprising:

a connection across a digital audiovisual distribution network to a server, the server comprising a database used in central management of the jukebox; and

instructions tangibly stored on a computer-readable storage medium which, when executed by a processor provided to the jukebox, cause the jukebox at least to;

generate, at the jukebox, at least management data concerning at least one of a hardware, software, or firmware component of the jukebox,

transfer said management data from the jukebox to the server, and

receive update instructions for the jukebox from the server to the jukebox in response to the server receiving and processing the management data from the jukebox, the processing of the management data by the server including identifying the jukebox, updating the database, and locating the update instructions for updating data in the jukebox.

7. The digital jukebox according to claim 6, wherein the database comprises a plurality of tables including a plurality of arrays containing information relating to said management data, said information being relevant to the management of data in the jukebox connected to the digital audiovisual distribution network.

8. The digital jukebox according to claim 6, wherein the jukebox includes further instructions which, when executed by the processor provided to the jukebox, further cause the jukebox at least to generate the management data at a predetermined date and/or time.

9. The digital jukebox according to claim 6, wherein the jukebox includes further instructions which, when executed by the processor provided to the jukebox, further cause the jukebox at least to install the received update instructions.

10. The digital jukebox according to claim 9, wherein the jukebox includes further instructions which, when executed by the processor provided to the jukebox, further cause the jukebox at least to install the received update instructions at a predetermined date and/or time.