Audiovisual reproduction system

• US 8,074,253 B1
• Filed: 07/24/2000
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• 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:
  US09/621,677
• Time in Patent Office: 4,152 Days
• Field of Search: 725/13, 725/78, 725/80, 725/135, 725/139, 725/141
• 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, connected to a distribution network controlled by a host server, 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 that stores at least songs that may be played on the jukebox apparatus in response to selections from a customer;

an audio reproduction system for providing audio;

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

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

a song request routine for requesting at least one new song for download from the host server, wherein

the display is further operable to display a list of songs in a popup menu from which a user is to select a song not yet available on the jukebox system for download to the jukebox system;

wherein, when a number of times that a same song is selected exceeds a predetermined threshold, the audiovisual reproduction system sends a request to the host server to request that the selected song be downloaded from the host server to the audiovisual reproduction system,

the display is further operable to display, said display triggered in response to the purchase, by a user, of one or more particular predetermined songs, a questionnaire different from touch selectable options for selecting songs for playback and touch selectable options for selecting songs for download, comprising one or more questions for gathering customer information,

the touch-screen is operable to accept customer input corresponding to the answers to the one or more questions,

the answers are saved to the questionnaire response file in the memory and a reward routine for presenting the customer with a reward is processed, after a determination routine has determined whether the questionnaire was completed,

wherein an order is sent to the jukebox system via a file downloaded on the jukebox system from the host server, the order being stored by the jukebox system and used to play one or more predetermined audiovisual records at one or more predetermined times, and

wherein the display is further operable to display a screen allowing users of the jukebox system, via the communication system, to pay for admission fees corresponding to artistic events shown on the display, the payment of the admission fees being made by the fee payment device of the jukebox system.

2. The jukebox system of claim 1 wherein the reward routine provides the customer a free song selection for completing the questionnaire.

3. A jukebox distribution network comprising a plurality of jukebox systems connected thereto, the distribution network being controlled by a host server, wherein each said jukebox system comprises:

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 that stores at least songs that may be played on the jukebox apparatus in response to selections from a customer;

an audio reproduction system providing audio;

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

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

a song request routine for requesting at least one new song for download from the host server, wherein

the display is further operable to display a list of songs in a popup menu from which a user is to select a song not yet available on the jukebox system for download to the jukebox system;

wherein, when a number of time that a same song is selected exceeds a predetermined threshold, the audiovisual reproduction system sends a request to the host server to request that the selected song be downloaded from the host server to the audiovisual reproduction system,

the display is further operable to display, said display triggered in response to the purchase, by a user, of one or more particular predetermined songs, a questionnaire different from touch selectable options for selecting songs for playback and touch selectable options for selecting songs for download, comprising one or more questions for gathering customer information,

the touch-screen is operable to accept customer input corresponding to the answers to the one or more questions, and

the answers are saved to the questionnaire response file in the memory and a reward routine for presenting the customer with a reward is processed, after a determination routine has determined whether the questionnaire was completed, and

wherein an order is sent to at least two jukebox systems of said plurality via a file downloaded thereto from the host server, the order being stored by the at least two jukebox systems of said plurality and used to play one or more predetermined audiovisual records thereon at one or more predetermined times, and

wherein the display of each said jukebox system is further operable to display a screen allowing users of the jukebox system, via the communication system, to pay for admission fees corresponding to artistic events shown on the display, the payment of the admission fees being made by the fee payment device of the jukebox system.