US 8,151,304 B2Granted

Digital downloading jukebox system with user-tailored music management, communications, and other tools

AssigneeTouchTunes Music Corporation

InventorsGuy Nathan, Dominique Dion

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Abstract

A digital downloading jukebox system including a mechanism for delivering custom services to a recognized user, including services for creating playlists, communicating with others, accessing other features, etc. is provided. In some exemplary embodiments, after a user is recognized, the jukebox system allows users to access a special front-end via the Internet or on an actual jukebox. Then, the user may, for example, create playlists, share songs with friends, send messages to friends, and access other value-added content. Other exemplary embodiments allow users to become certified, charging them for services without requiring constant inputting of coinage or credit card information. Such a system preferably learns about networks of friends, and enables managers to send similar messages to regular customers and/or others known to the system.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A digital jukebox device provided to an out-of-home location, comprising:

a collection mechanism configured to collect an amount of money for playing an instance of media on said digital jukebox device;
at least one output channel configured to output said instance of media;
a user recognizer configured to enable a user to login to the digital jukebox device to access patron-specific features of the digital jukebox device on the digital jukebox device at the out-of-home location by recognizing the user and retrieving information specific to said recognized user, at least some of said recognized user information being displayable on a display operably connected to the digital jukebox device in the out-of-home location;
and
a user interface configured to enable said recognized user to (a) select said instance of media for playback on said digital jukebox device and (b) selectively create, modify, and/or delete at least some of said recognized user information, once the user has logged in to the digital jukebox device and accessed said patron-specific features,
wherein said recognized user information includes buddy list information, said buddy list information comprising contact information for at least one recognizable user,
wherein a buddy list communicator is configured to enable said recognized to send a message for at least one other recognizable user, said message being displayable on the digital jukebox device via said display of the digital jukebox device upon and as a result of a successful login to the digital jukebox device by the at least one other recognizable user and/or on an electronic device of the at least one other recognizable user,
wherein said recognized user information includes playlist information, said playlist information including information pertaining to a plurality of playlists, each said playlist being designated as either a private playlist or a public playlist,
wherein each said private playlist is accessible to and playable on the digital jukebox device only by the recognized user, and
wherein each said public playlist is accessible to and playable on the digital jukebox device by any jukebox device user.

7 more elements

A digital jukebox system, comprising:

a digital jukebox device provided to an out-of-home location including a collection mechanism configured to collect an amount of money for playing an instance of media on said digital jukebox device and at least one output channel configured to output said instance of media;
a first user recognizer configured to enable a user to login to the digital jukebox system to access patron-specific features of the digital jukebox system by recognizing the user and retrieving information specific to said recognized user;
and
a first user interface operably connected to said first user recognizer configured to enable said recognized user to selectively create, modify, and/or delete said recognized user information, once the user has logged in to the digital jukebox system and accessed said patron-specific features, said first user interface being located at a location remote from said digital jukebox device,
wherein said digital jukebox device further includes a second user recognizer configured to enable the user to login to the digital jukebox device to access patron-specific features of the digital jukebox device on the digital jukebox device at the out-of-home location by recognizing the user and retrieving information specific to said recognized user, and a second user interface operably connected to said second user recognizer and provided to said digital jukebox device configured to enable said recognized user to select said instance of media for playback on said digital jukebox device in the out-of-home location,
wherein said recognized user information includes buddy list information, said buddy list information comprising contact information for at least one other recognizable user,
wherein a buddy list communicator is configured to enable recognized users to send messages for other recognizable users, said messages being displayable to the recognizable user to whom it is sent upon and as a result of a successful login to either the digital jukebox system or the digital jukebox device by that recognizable user and/or being displayable on an electronic device of that recognizable user,
wherein said recognized user information includes playlist information, said playlist information including information pertaining to a plurality of playlists, each said playlist being designated as either a private playlist or a public playlist,
wherein each said private playlist is accessible to and playable on the digital jukebox device only by the recognized user, and
wherein each said public playlist is accessible to and playable on the digital jukebox device by any jukebox device user.

7 more elements

A digital jukebox system, comprising:

a plurality of digital jukebox devices provided to respective out-of-home locations, each said digital jukebox device comprising a collection mechanism configured to collect an amount of money for playing an instance of media on said digital jukebox device, at least one output channel configured to output said instance of media, and a communicator for communicating with the digital jukebox system and with other devices connected to the digital jukebox system;
a first user recognizer configured to enable a user to login to the digital jukebox system to access patron-specific features of the digital jukebox system by recognizing the user and retrieving information specific to said recognized user;
and
a first user interface operably connected to said first user recognizer configured to enable said recognized user to selectively create, modify, and/or delete said recognized user information, once the user has logged in to the digital jukebox system and accessed said patron-specific features, said first user interface being located at a location remote from said digital jukebox device,
wherein each said digital jukebox device further comprises a second user recognizer configured to enable a user to login to the digital jukebox device to access patron-specific features of the digital jukebox device on the digital jukebox device at the out-of-home location by recognizing the user and retrieving information specific to said recognized user, and a second user interface operably connected to said second user recognizer and provided to said digital jukebox device configured to enable said recognized user to select said instance of media for playback on said digital jukebox device,
wherein said recognized user information is stored in a storage location accessible by each said digital jukebox device in the digital jukebox system such that the recognized user information becomes available to a particular digital jukebox device in the digital jukebox system upon the recognized user logging in to the particular digital jukebox device,
wherein said recognized user information includes contact information for at least one recognizable user,
wherein the communicator is configured to enable recognized users to leave messages for other recognizable users, each said message being displayable to the recognizable user for whom it is left upon and as a result of a successful login to either the digital jukebox system or the digital jukebox device by that recognizable user and/or being displayable on an electronic device of that recognizable user,
wherein said recognized user information includes playlist information, said playlist information including information pertaining to a plurality of playlists, each said playlist being designated as either a private playlist or a public playlist,
wherein each said private playlist is accessible to and playable on the digital jukebox device only by the recognized user, and
wherein each said public playlist is accessible to and playable on the digital jukebox device by any jukebox device user.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/222,036Filed 9 Sep 2005 · continuation in part
Priority: 16 Sep 2002
Published: US 2006/0018208 A123 Mar 2006
Granted: 3 Apr 2012
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

G11B 27/002
Editing; Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Monitoring; Measuring tape travel: programmed access in sequence to a plurality of record…
G06Q 20/123
Specially adapted for electronic shopping systems: shopping for digital content
G06Q 20/3821
Insuring higher security of transaction: electronic credentials
G07F 17/30
Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services: for musical instruments

Family

Application60/410,832Us provisional application · filed 16 Sep 2002
Application10/661,811Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 15 Sep 2003
Application11/185,974Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 21 Jul 2005
US 2006/0062094 A1Pre-grant publication · published 23 Mar 2006
US 2005/0060405 A1Published application
US 2006/0018208 A1Published application
US 8,103,589 B2Related patent
US 9,646,339 B2Related patent
US 8,151,304 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.