US 9,252,898 B2Granted

Music distribution systems

AssigneeZarbana Digital Fund LLC

InventorsCharles Eric Hunter, John H. Hebrank

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

Music is blanket transmitted to each customer's computer-based user station. Customers preselect from a list of available music in advance using an interactive screen selector, and pay only for music that they choose to have recorded for unlimited playback. An antipiracy “ID tag” is woven into the recorded music so that any illegal copies therefrom may be traced to the purchase transaction. Music is transmitted on a fixed schedule or through an active scheduling process that monitors music requests from all or a subset of satellite receivers and adjust scheduling according to demand for various CD's. In those instances where transmission interruptions result in data loss, the system downloads the next transmission of the requested CD and uses both transmissions to produce a “good copy”. In conjunction to the blanket transmission, an automated CD manufacturing facility may be provided to manufacture CD's and distribute them by ground transportation.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A user station for use in a music distribution system for distributing music to consumer locations at which user stations may be situated, wherein the music distribution system includes a data transmission system configured to blanket transmit a plurality of music content items to remote consumer locations in digital form, said user station comprising:

a storage medium configured to store music content items;
a pre-selection mechanism configured to enable a consumer to pre-select from the blanket transmission a plurality of music content items for storage in the storage medium of the user station, wherein the user station is at a location which is remote from the music distribution system;
a selection mechanism configured to enable said consumer to select for making a permanent copy any one of the pre-selected music content items stored in the storage medium;
a mechanism configured to receive pricing information for the music content items stored in the storage medium and to store said pricing information in the user station;
and
a mechanism configured to transmit pricing information for a music content item stored in the storage medium to the music distribution system in response to the user station receiving a consumer request to make a permanent copy of the music content item stored in the storage medium.

3 more elements

A method for use at consumer locations of a music distribution system, comprising:

receiving, at a user station employed at a remote consumer location, a blanket transmission of a plurality of music content items;
receiving, at said consumer location, information identifying available music content items;
recording, in a storage medium of said user station, a pre-selected music selection;
transmitting a signal from said user station to verify to a controller system that the pre-selected music selection has been recorded at said consumer location, wherein said user station is at a location which is remote from said controller system;
receiving, at said consumer location, pricing information for the music content item stored in the storage medium and storing said pricing information in the user station;
transmitting said pricing information for the music content item stored in the storage medium to a billing system in response to receiving, at the user station, a consumer request to make a permanent copy of the music content item stored in the storage medium, wherein the billing system is configured to bill the consumer for making the permanent copy in accordance with the pricing information transmitted to the billing system;
and
receiving, at the consumer location, billing information relating to the copied music content item.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/249,712Filed 10 Oct 2008 · continuation
Priority: 28 Jan 2000
Published: US 2009/0099968 A116 Apr 2009
Granted: 2 Feb 2016
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

H04H 20/40
Arrangements for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast: arrangements for broadcast specially adapted for accumulation-type receivers
H04H 60/11
Arrangements for device control with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time; Arrangements for control of…:…
H04H 60/17
Arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services: on recording information
H04H 60/98
Characterised by the transmission system itself: physical distribution of media, e.g. postcards, CDs or DVDs