Patent Grant
10782853
Certain exemplary embodiments relate to entertainment systems and, more particularly, certain exemplary embodiments relate to jukebox systems that incorporate digital downloading jukebox features along with karaoke jukebox and/or photobooth features.
Jukeboxes have been around for decades and provide users with the ability to select desired music for reproduction in a convenient and advantageous manner. Jukeboxes conventionally have been provided in commercial establishments, such as restaurants and bars, in order to provide desired music on demand for patrons thereof for a fee. Over the last several years, a new generation of jukebox devices have become available that provide significant improvements in the operation thereof for all parties involved. More specifically, the conventional standalone phonorecord and CD jukeboxes are being replaced by digital downloading jukeboxes that are controlled by and communicate with a central server. An example of this new generation jukebox system is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,308,204, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. A leading provider of this new generation of jukebox systems is TouchTunes Music Corporation.
The jukebox devices 16 (sometimes referred to herein as simply “jukeboxes”) are operable to communicate with the central server 12 through a communications network 14, such as, for example, the Internet. The jukeboxes 16 periodically communicate with the server 12 in order to provide information to the server 12 regarding the specific songs that have been played on the jukebox. The central server then uses this information in order to determine the appropriate royalties and/or other payments that are owed for songs played on each jukebox. Thus, one advantage of this new generation of jukeboxes is that the sound reproduction and/or other applicable music rights can be adhered to in a more accurate and reliable manner, thereby assuring the proper royalties are paid to the artists or music owners. The central server 12 can also provide new songs to the jukebox 16 in order to assure that the appropriate or most popular songs are maintained on the jukebox based on the specific customers at that location. Thus, the songs available on each jukebox can be customized through communication with the central server in order to provide the songs and/or types of music that customers generally request at each jukebox location. As described in the above-referenced U.S. Pat. No. 6,308,204, the central server can also advantageously be used to update the operating software on the jukeboxes in order to, for example, change the operation of the jukebox, such as to provide new or improved features. Thus, another advantage of this new generation of jukeboxes is that the songs (or other audio and/or visual content), and the operation of the jukebox itself can be remotely changed as desired without the need to have someone (such as a routeman) personally service the jukebox. Instead, such updates can be done using the central server 12.
As indicated above, the jukebox devices 16 each include a mass storage device, such as a hard drive, which stores the songs and associated video/graphics data (if any), as well as any other desired graphical information for reproduction on the jukebox. The mass storage device of the jukebox typically has limited storage capacity relative to the storage device of the central server 12. As a result, only a fraction of the songs stored on the central server are typically stored on the mass storage device of the jukebox at any one time. There may be other reasons as well, such as for security of the data or limited room in the jukebox itself, for having limited storage capacity on the jukebox and/or limiting the number of songs stored thereon. For example, physical space may be limited on wall-mount jukeboxes or the like, which are designed to be small in size as compared to free-standing models. As explained above, the songs on the jukebox can be changed through communication with the central server, but typically any one jukebox only stores a relatively small subset of the complete library of songs maintained by the central server at any one time.
In order to increase the revenue that a jukebox generates, making the most desired or popular songs available on the jukebox over time may be seen as an advantage. If customers cannot find songs they like on the jukebox, usage of the jukebox (and the revenue generated thereby) can decrease. On the other hand, it is not always possible to predict in advance exactly what a customer at any particular location will desire to play on the jukebox. In fact, there are likely many instances where a customer would have selected a song that exists on the central server but is not currently present on the jukebox. As a result, the jukebox may not be enjoyed and used to its fullest extent. In order to address this problem and increase revenue, jukebox systems have in the past provided a feature that enables the user to search for songs on the central server from the jukebox and request an immediate download of a desired song from the central server to the jukebox for an additional fee. This feature enables the user to play any song in the master library of songs maintained by the central server using the jukebox, regardless of whether or not the specific song is presently stored in the mass storage of the jukebox itself. Thus, the user can first look for desired songs on the local storage of the jukebox and then, if desired, search further on the central server for desired songs (e.g., in connection with search functionality, potentially accessible by selecting a central server search function button on the screen). The jukebox device typically charges an additional fee (such as five credits instead on one credit) for an immediate download and play of a song from the central server as opposed to a standard play directly from the jukebox's local storage.
In addition to all the features of a conventional jukebox, there is a need for an integrated karaoke experience. In that regard, current jukeboxes typically are turned off or otherwise deactivated during karaoke nights, where karaoke providers bring in their own separate equipment and set it up at the venue, or the venue itself simply sets up the separate karaoke system in which it has separately invested. The deactivation of the jukebox device, even if only temporary, represents a loss of potential revenue during such karaoke establishments. The setup and tear-down of the separate karaoke systems also is inconvenient and sometimes burdensome, e.g., for short-staffed venues, for venues where there is not a lot of space, etc. Moreover, conventional jukeboxes have been largely shut out from “karaoke-only” establishments. Because jukeboxes and karaoke device belong in different classes in the real world, a whole market remains unavailable and thus untapped.
As is known, the karaoke environment involves an organized process of selecting music from an exclusive karaoke catalog that contains legally licensed music. Unfortunately, it has been very challenging to develop a sufficiently feature-rich solution to allow a true karaoke experience to take place in a bar or public venue. Karaoke systems in place today for commercial uses typically present music that the “KJ” or “Karaoke Jockey” (as opposed to the “DJ”) has accumulated. It has been observed that few KJs make any effort to obtain legally licensed versions of the songs that make use of. Even genuine efforts to license songs from appropriate karaoke music suppliers are fraught with risk, as the suppliers themselves oftentimes do not have coherent and effective licensing capability. And even genuine efforts to license songs still cannot provide to KJs the vast music catalog available on jukebox devices.
Thus, it will be appreciated that there is a need in the art for a new catalog management and royalty payment strategy that goes beyond what has been put in place for conventionally licensed music for mechanical reproduction and performance, e.g., so as to accommodate karaoke environments. For instance, certain exemplary embodiments provide a way to comply with obligations to respect author rights, in the more complicated karaoke environment where a different set of rights is implicated, e.g., in connection with vocal elimination and replacement, generation of new content, etc.
In this vein, as is known, the karaoke experience creates a new work, namely, a combination of the original music and the performer(s) singing. There oftentimes is a desire for performers to retain audio or audio and video copies of their performances. To meet this need, however, would imply the potentially recurring usage of the original music track and the appropriate tracking and management of these produced works, e.g., to comply with current copyright laws. Thus, another challenge facing the development of a karaoke application involves providing the ability to create these new performance works, while also managing them in a manner that respects the licensing demands of the original rights holder(s). Media management, however, is hampered currently, as digital media and ubiquitous player technology has become widespread.
One aspect of certain exemplary embodiments relates to providing, in the venue or location corresponding to the physical jukebox and karaoke environment, the ability to seamlessly transition between conventional jukebox usage or, jukebox plus broadcast TV (as in using the jukebox audio system to play the sound for a football game being presented on the venues televisions), and/or a new karaoke-appropriate audio and video configuration. In so doing, it may be desirable to make adjustments to a number of settings of the combined karaoke jukebox system.
For instance, the volume settings for all zones may be altered to fairly present the stage environment and provide the performer with suitable audio monitor capability. In addition, video screens may be repurposed to provide information about upcoming performers and lyrics for the current song. As alluded to above, it would be desirable to have this transition take place in a seamless manner, demanding very little skill from venue staff or the karaoke master of ceremonies or the de facto “KJ.”
Thus, it will be appreciated that there is a need in the art for techniques for improving jukeboxes by also incorporating karaoke features that provide karaoke performs a “take-away” while addressing licensing, reporting, and/or other requirements, both at and away from the venue and location, while also enabling for a seamless transition between jukebox and karaoke modes of operation.
The inventors of the instant application have recognized that karaoke can be a positive, social, experience that is fun and sometimes even competitive. Performance is a part of the karaoke experience, for both performers and the audience. The more people involved in the experience, the more fun it tends to be. Smart technology can provide new KJ features. Smart technology also can leverage opportunities to create a connected karaoke experience for a connected world.
Thus, an aspect of certain exemplary embodiments relates to encouraging more people to perform, and/or connecting more people to the performance—before, during, and/or after a performance.
An aspect of certain exemplary embodiments relates to providing a karaoke jukebox connected system with collaborative touch points (including, for example, user devices such as mobile phones, tablets, etc.; jukeboxes themselves; game or other fixed or portable terminals in a location; etc.) that define unique moments.
Another aspect of certain exemplary embodiments relates to treating a performance as a moment of the karaoke experience that other moments both lead to and stem from.
Another aspect of certain exemplary embodiments relates to defining moments in the experience by providing unique or signature interactions that help make the experience immersive and unique for patrons, whether they are performing or watching at the location or remote from the location. For instance, digital songbooks for karaoke-type events may replace paper printouts that feel clunky and in many cases are dated. Karaoke in general may be made less hokey and more unique and tailored to an out-of-home experience in some cases.
Certain exemplary embodiments relate to a jukebox device usable in a jukebox mode, and (a) a karaoke mode, and/or (b) a photobooth mode, as shown and described herein.
Certain exemplary embodiments relate to a method for operating a jukebox device usable in a jukebox mode, and (a) a karaoke mode, and/or (b) a photobooth mode, as shown and described herein.
Certain exemplary embodiments relate to a system including a jukebox device usable in a jukebox mode, and (a) a karaoke mode, and/or (b) a photobooth mode, as shown and described herein.
Certain exemplary embodiments relate to a user interface, or portion thereof, that is suitable for use during karaoke.
In certain exemplary embodiments, a jukebox device is provided and comprises processing resources including at least one processor and a memory, a touch screen display device, a payment acceptor, and a storage device comprising instances of media available for playback via the jukebox device. The processing resources, the touch screen display device, and the payment acceptor cooperate with one another to cause the jukebox device to function in at least first and second different modes. The first mode is a normal jukebox operation mode that is configured to enable a first partial subset of the instances of media to be played back on a pay-per-play basis. The second mode is a karaoke jukebox operation mode that is configured to enable a second partial subset of the instances of media to be played back on a pay-per-play basis, with the first and second partial subsets being different from one another. As a part of the second mode, the touch screen display device presents a first set of screens that each list at least a portion of the instances of media in the second partial subset of the instances of media in a manner that resembles a book having multiple pages. Each said page includes at most a predefined maximum number of entries corresponding to the portion of the second partial subset of instances of media, and each said entry indicates a song name and an artist associated with the corresponding instance of media that is selectable for playback via the jukebox device. The first set of screens each include a common set of control elements for re-organizing and navigating through the book.
According to certain exemplary embodiments, non-transitory computer readable storage mediums tangibly store programs that, when executed, implement these and/or other methods.
The exemplary embodiments, aspects, and advantages disclosed herein may be provided in any suitable combination or sub-combination to achieve yet further exemplary embodiments.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the instant invention will be further understood by review of the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:
Referring now to the drawings,
The songs (and/or other data) may be digitized, compressed and encrypted by the central server 12 prior to sending songs to the jukeboxes for security and bandwidth purposes using known techniques. The songs are then decompressed and decrypted by the jukeboxes for storage and reproduction thereon. Thus, each of the jukeboxes maintains in a database a library of digitized songs for play on the jukebox, wherein the library can be changed or updated through communication by the central server. The jukeboxes may also receive and store data constituting images (e.g., still and/or moving video and/or graphical images) that can be displayed on the display 18 of the jukebox device 16. In one exemplary embodiment of the invention, the jukebox devices have similar structure and operation described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,308,204 referenced above. Thus, the jukebox devices 16 each may include one or more microprocessors, such as a main CPU and an audio DSP, a memory, such as a hard drive, for storing songs and/or other content, a display of displaying visual items, an audio arrangement 20 for providing audio, a communication system for enabling the jukebox to communicate with the central server 12 through the communications network 14, and operating software, including a multitasking operating system, that controls the operation of the jukebox. The operating software also may be updateable through communication with the central server 12 as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,308,204 referenced above. The jukeboxes 16 further include one or more payment devices, such as coin, bill and/or credit card input devices, for enabling a customer to pay for usage of the jukebox device in a convenient manner. The screen 18 may be a touch screen that enables the user to input selections by touching the screen.
Each jukebox device has, in one embodiment, a local server 22 that can be accessed by the jukebox device. The local servers are respectively connected to the jukebox devices using Ethernet or other type of local connection. In another embodiment, the local server may simply be a logical extension (e.g. partition, directory, or area) of the jukebox's hard drive, rather than a separate hardware device. The local servers 22 may each include a mirror copy of the master library of musical recordings maintained by the central server 12. The local server 22 can be loaded with the master library by the entity that owns and/or controls the jukebox network prior to shipping the local server and jukebox device to the jukebox distributor or operator. Of course, over time, the local sever will no longer correspond identically to the central server, due to the fact that the central server may be continually updated with additional or new songs. Thus, the local servers 22 also may be updated periodically to maintain a correspondence with the library on the central server 12. This updating can be done, for example, by the central server 12 through communication with the jukebox devices connected with the local servers 22 using, for example, either dial-up or broadband modems. Alternatively, the updating can be done personally with an update tool that can be connected by a routeman or other person directly to the jukebox or local server for the purpose of updating the contents of the local server. The portable tool could include a removable storage medium, such as a hard drive, that could be returned to and reused by the owner of the jukebox system for future updates. The tool itself could be kept by the operator or other person in charge of maintaining specific jukeboxes for use upon receipt of the updated removable storage medium from the owner of the jukebox system.
For security reasons, the local server 22 may not include all of the digital data that constitutes any one song that is stored on the local server 22. In addition, the part of the song that is on the local server is encrypted. The jukebox device 16 contains the missing part of each of the songs on the local server, thereby enabling the jukebox to assemble the complete song based on the contents of the local server and the memory on the jukebox device. The missing data located on the jukebox is needed in order to decrypt the songs. For example, a single block (or other small fraction) of data for each song may be missing on the local server but present on the jukebox device, and the encryption may be based on the missing block and may proceed on a block by block basis. Thus, none of the blocks can be decrypted without obtaining and/or decrypting a preceding block. This feature provides significant security and prevents or deters theft or other type of unauthorized use or copying of the songs on the local server. Thus, in this embodiment, each local server must be specifically assigned to a specific jukebox device so that the decryption described above can be properly performed.
In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, the local servers may also each be individually registered with and identified to the central server 12, so that the central server can individually manage and monitor each local server. The same is true for the jukebox device itself, i.e., it may also be registered with the central server so that it too can be individually monitored and managed by the central server. As will be understood from the foregoing description, the local servers become an important and advantageous part of the jukebox system by allowing the contents thereof to be accessed by the jukebox device to provide additional services (such as providing additional songs) not available on the jukebox device itself. As will be explained below, the song library of the central server and/or the storage capacity itself can be advantageously used to provide services to other jukeboxes, such as fee-based residential and commercial jukeboxes and/or other fee-based equipment. One use of the local servers may be to provide an immediate song downloading feature. As indicated above, certain exemplary embodiments include a new three-dimensional user interface for exploring and browsing media content, e.g., using a touch-screen. Given an arbitrary collection of content (e.g., music, video, advertisement, and/or other content), the new user interface may create a multi-dimensional (e.g., two- or three-dimensional) visualization virtual space, which allows the user to freely navigate in this collection. This type of navigation is facilitated in certain exemplary embodiments by using a social tagging model and/or collaborative popularity model.
Certain exemplary embodiments are described as implementing touch area sensing techniques. That is, in a sense, certain exemplary embodiments obtain a location a direction and a speed of a sensed touch. Using this data, certain exemplary embodiments may cause the prominent object plane to be moved forward or backwards in the object presentation by moving the touch forward (upwards) were backward (downwards) or selected by a swipe to the left or right. In addition, or in the alternative, by holding a touch for a period of time greater than some threshold (greater than 2 seconds, for example), a choice that is represents it could be presented.
The space is the general presentation area on which all graphic elements are presented. Collections generally refer to logical collections of media and may be subject to preferential filtering, e.g., to present and make available only media that satisfies criteria for different levels of actors. They may sometimes be represented by graphic images. Objects generally refer to songs, artists, playlists, games, or media sources that are represented in a sequence from a central catalog. Objects that are presented may sometimes be thought of as being subject to a match between the user or locations preferences and the attributes of the object was being browsed. As described in certain of assignee's co-pending applications (which are referenced above), an authentication mechanism may be provided to, among other things, identify the user and provide security credential authorization. In the context of certain exemplary embodiments, the authentication action may superimpose user-based preferential filtering over location-based preferential filtering. When user-based preferential filtering is in effect, it may further reduce whatever filtering has been imposed by the location attributes. Once authenticated, new collections such as playlists, favorite games, interrupted games, chat sessions, records of media consumption, high scores, etc., may become available as new possible collections to be presented as objects in the object viewer.
As alluded to above, in certain exemplary embodiments, the space operates in three states. In the flight state, a programmed series of media segments are presented based on the behavior of the jukebox and centralized media preparation activities. In the browsing state, users browse collections through a variety of different modes with the goal of selecting a media item for action. Media items typically include songs, games, and/or other content. In the search state, patrons enter data through a virtual keyboard and option panel or other appropriate input mechanism to directly locate media items that satisfy the search criteria and the preferential filtering in effect at that location. It will be appreciated that these states are exemplary and that these and/or other states may be provided in any suitable combination or sub-combination in different embodiments of this invention. In any event, illustrative details of exemplary flight, browse, and search states will be provided, in turn, below.
Details regarding an example flight state will now be provided. As will be appreciated, for jukeboxes, and music systems in general, only a portion of every day is spent interacting directly or wirelessly with the user who is searching for or playing a song. Most of the time, the lighting and display apparatus are engaged in presenting a sequence of video images. The goal of the video images is to attract users to the system, make them aware that the device is in fact a user controlled music service or jukebox, present advertisements and public service announcements, and/or to promote the system itself showing new features, new media available, and to promote artists and their works.
A problem with jukeboxes today is that they offer a largely homogenous presentation across a particular network. This means that the visuals presented may be wholly inappropriate for many of the locations in which it is installed. Perhaps more importantly, many restaurants or specialty bars or lounges have invested significant resources in creating a specific mood and appearance to attract and satisfy their intended clientele. As commercial music systems increasingly offer larger and larger screen display areas, the opportunity exists to tune the appearance of a jukebox via its visuals to a particular type of location. In addition, the larger screen area presents an opportunity to support increasingly sophisticated digital signage applications interleaved with the visual theme for the location. The downside risk of not responding to implicit or explicit requests for customized designs in order to make the jukebox blend in with the overall environment relates to having the idea of a jukebox placed in the location rejected out of hand.
One solution to this challenge is to offer custom flight packages, which may be thought of as being collections of video and composite imagery that are “authentic” to or otherwise “in tune with” the sensibilities of location. For example, a sophisticated urban Martini lounge could be provided with an urban, chic collection of videos appropriate for the location. A country and western bar could be provided a cowboy theme more in keeping with the surroundings. This has at least two advantageous effects on the industry. First, it opens up an entirely new population of venue types to the music service. Second, combined with sophisticated venue music styles, it creates a music system that has both a look and a sound that is appropriate for the clientele the venue operator seeks to attract and please.
In certain exemplary embodiments, flights may be composed of individual video segments. Video segments may occupy all or a portion of the available screen area and may be overlaid with other video segments of differing duration. Video segments may be resident within the music system in certain exemplary embodiments (e.g., having been distributed from a central server in advance), or they may be dynamically retrieved from music server or other content providers in certain other exemplary embodiments. In still other exemplary embodiments, channels that may be tuned into may be provided. Each flight may have a duration after which the flight would repeat. As such, it may be desirable to include dynamic content so as to keep the presentation fresh and interesting.
Video segments may be generally classified as being editorial or advertising. Editorial segments are generally seen as informative or amusing facts intended to engage viewers and encourage use of the music system, either directly or through a remote access device. Advertising segments are generally seen as being dynamically presented based on advertising materials located on the music system or on a remote server.
Flights can be thought of as a timeline where each segment represents a displayable group. Displayable groups are independent data systems designed to resolve the requirement for editorial or advertising content. A displayable group may be resolved in a single step where only one editorial segment satisfies the criteria of the displayable group, or a displayable group may require a great many rules and references to ultimately resolve the correct video segment to be presented.
As a simple example,
As alluded to above (e.g., in connection with
Until now, it has been extremely difficult or impossible to provide this type customized content across a large-scale network because of the enormous manual labor involved with strict playlist-based systems. The introduction of display groups and the recursive nature provides the ability for the display system to make systematic substitutions for content based on a combination of venue attributes, patron interaction, content availability, flight segment mix, etc.
Periodically, during the flight, a segment may resolve to a displayable group that encourages a patron to use the system. Once a system is touched, the flight mode may be altered. Once the user enters browse or search state, resolution and presentation of flight segments may be restricted to content that is of a space and duration appropriate for coexistence with the browse or search screen displays. For example, based on a setting, editorial content segments could be deferred until the end of the interactive session, but advertising result segments could be presented. In different examples, the flight could be interrupted and resume only after the interactive session was completed, or the flight could stop and a new flight specifically intended for presentation during interactive sessions could begin. In any event, the flights may conform to a style that is consistent with attributes of the venue created when last configured.
As identified above, the need for content reducing, personalizing, and/or features is becoming increasingly important as music collections grow in size and diversity. The browse and search features are a part of the new, natural 3D user interface described herein. This user interface is designed to help patrons find new music, re-find forgotten music, create coherent playlists, and/or the like. The new 3D interface is designed to be intuitive, engaging, and entertaining. The following descriptions provide additional details regarding the interactive 3D visualization techniques of certain exemplary embodiments that allow users to explore the overall music space, receive recommendations for music, login to social networking sites, and generate coherent playlist. These descriptions are provided in the context of exemplary browsing and search states mentioned above.
In the browsing state, users can browse the music collection by artist, by album, by song title, or by genre. In terms of exploring the music space, album artwork or jackets have always been a part of local content browsing. However, browsing content residing on the central server relies mainly on artist name. The interface of certain exemplary embodiments may help unify local content and central server content, as well as content available only from social networking sites, via “play-only” licenses (e.g., where content can only be streamed from a source and cannot be saved locally or on a remote server aside, perhaps, from limited music buffering), etc. Thus, music exploration may be driven by a combination of artist name and artist artwork in certain exemplary embodiments. The combination of artist and/or artist artwork based-discovery is advantageous in that there is a trend away from patrons recognizing albums and instead associating music with a strong brand or image (e.g., often an image of an artist, which helps explain the increasing incidence of artists putting their own likenesses on their album covers). For instance,
In
In
The exemplary displays in
Of course, it will be appreciated that other characteristics also may be used such as, for example, beats per minute, genres, etc. It also will be appreciated that the depth values may be numeric in nature (e.g., as in the case with release date), representable in connection with numeric values (e.g., for names), or discrete in nature (e.g., for genres). For discrete values, discrete selections may be made. However, even discrete values like genres can be represented on a continuum, as rap and hip hop may be thought of as being “closer” to one another than they are to country or zydeco, for example.
The characteristics that are used to assign depth values may be obtained as metadata, e.g., from an outside provider, gathered from social networking sites (e.g., by examining a recognized jukebox user's preferences, “favorites,” “pages,” etc., and expanding that search outwardly to the user's friends' preferences up to a predetermined number of degrees), developed based on the usage of one or more jukeboxes, etc. The originating metadata may be stored in a database or other suitable non-transitory computer readable storage medium. It may be incorporated into the music catalog directly, a link to the originating metadata source or an outside data structure having the depth values may be incorporated into the music catalog or accessed by the jukebox upon a corresponding display request, etc. Further information regarding potential metadata sources is provided below.
In certain exemplary embodiments, a jukebox device comprises a display; a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a plurality of instances of media available for playback on or via the jukebox device; and at least one processor configured to cause a user interface to be displayed on the display and further configured to respond to inputs to the user interface. The user interface comprises a display area including virtual axes defining a coordinate space in which individual song, artist, and/or album items are to be displayed. Each individual song, artist, and/or album item has a plurality of characteristics associated therewith, each said axis is associated with one of said characteristics so that each individual song, artist, and/or album item has a defined location in the coordinate space. The display area is updatable in response to user input corresponding to movement within the coordinate space. The coordinate space may be two-dimensional, three-dimensional, substantially linear, etc., in different embodiments.
In certain implementations, items are arranged alphabetically along a first axis and chronologically along a second axis. In certain implementations, a release date associated with the item determines the item's positioning along the second axis. Discrete areas of one said axis may be designated for a predefined arrangement of discrete genres, and the predefined arrangement of discrete genres may be decomposable into a predetermined sub-arrangement of discrete sub-genres. The discrete genres may be grouped such that based on degrees of similarity therebetween such that similar genres are provided in closer relative proximity to one another as compared to disparate genres. Elements may be grouped alone one axis based on popularity in certain exemplary embodiments.
Song items may be selectable so as to trigger their playback, display a popup screen enabling the user to confirm that the selected song is to be played back, etc. Upon detecting an album or artist selection, movement within the coordinate space may be caused such that the selected item is centered therein.
Methods of making and/or using such jukebox devices also may be provided, as may non-transitory computer readable storage mediums tangibly storing instructions for using such jukebox devices/providing such user interfaces. Jukebox systems including plural jukebox devices, for example, also may be provided in different exemplary embodiments.
Similarly, having a database that contains a set of user or automatically generated descriptive words or “tags” associated for each artist, album and song titles, may enable certain exemplary embodiments to visually represent music collections in an interesting way. For instance,
Each tag may be represented by one of the floating objects. The size of the floating objects may in certain exemplary embodiments correspond to the weight of the tag. The weight may represent how important or relevant that word is for that music object. The weighting may be determined by a source such as an authorized user, based on an aggregation of user-specified tags, a predefined formula that balances factors such as, for example, genre, release date, user-specified information, etc. The tags may be based on how many people have tagged an item a certain way, how a trusted metadata source has tagged it, etc.
Clicking on one floating object may in certain exemplary embodiments display more music objects sharing the same tag. The resulting collection may represent similar artists, albums, or songs by means of the selected tag. For example, clicking on tag 3 in
The illustrative wireframe shown in
The questions of what media is to be displayed and how such media is to be displayed have been partially answered above. However, a more complete description will be provided below. With respect to the former question, location-specific inclusion criteria may be specified and matched with song metadata so as to define a “rough” master list for a location in certain exemplary embodiments. This location-specific master list may be “refined” based on metadata associated with a recognized user and/or based on jukebox usage over time in certain exemplary embodiments. Finally, the location-specific mater list (with or without having been refined with recognized user information) may be wholly or partially overridden by a custom-defined event (e.g., a disco or other theme night, private party, etc.).
With respect to the latter question as to how media is to be displayed, it will be appreciated that the emphasis of certain exemplary embodiments evolves away from album art and towards “stronger” identities or branding associated with an individual song or groups of songs and typically associated with an artist or an artist's likeness. In any event, a “rough” ordering may be based on location-specific criteria such as, for example, newest music first, Billboard's most popular music first, most popular at location last, etc. As above, this information may be “refined” based on metadata associated with a recognized user and/or based on jukebox usage over time in certain exemplary embodiments. For instance, criteria may be new music first, pop music last, music played by, listened to, or rated highly by friends (and friends' friends, etc.) first, music most played on MySpace first, etc. And, as above, overriding event parameters also may be provided (e.g., to place an emphasis on new music, independent artists, 80s hair bands, etc.).
In certain exemplary embodiments, a method of recommending a song to a user is provided. The method may comprise: enabling a user to log in to a jukebox device; determining musical preferences of the user based on a social networking site profile of the user, the social networking site profile identifying at least one artist, song, and/or genre; providing the determined musical preferences of the user to a recommendation engine to develop at least one recommendation; and providing the recommendation to the user on the jukebox device. In certain exemplary embodiments, musical preferences of friends of the user may be determined based on social networking site profiles of the friends, and the determined musical preferences of the friends of the user may be provided to the recommendation engine in developing the at least one recommendation. The determining of the musical preferences may be expanded to friends of the user and friends of friends within a predetermined number of degrees of separation (e.g., 1, 2, etc.), and the expanded determinations may be provided to the recommendation engine in developing the at least one recommendation.
Profile information corresponding to the location in which the jukebox device is located also may be of use in developing the at least one recommendation. Such profile information may be maintained on a central server, for example and, similarly, at least one processor of the central server may help determine musical preference data via a social networking interface provided thereto. In certain example embodiments, a plurality of social networking sites may be consulted to determine musical preferences of the user, with each said social networking site having an associated social networking site profile for the user.
Methods of making and/or using such jukebox devices also may be provided, as may non-transitory computer readable storage mediums tangibly storing instructions for using such jukebox devices/providing such user interfaces. Jukebox systems including plural jukebox devices, for example, also may be provided in different exemplary embodiments.
Having a collaborative filtering engine based on the listening behaviors of other media consumers and a tagging system as described above may allow certain exemplary embodiments to represent the recommended media collections in a 3-dimensional space. One issue for a collaborative filtering engine is the need for a significant amount of data to provide good recommendations. For new media or media with few consumers, conventional engine oftentimes cannot generate good recommendations. Certain exemplary embodiments address these shortcomings by recommending media upon the similarity of tags that have been applied to the media.
Once a user is identified, the system provides ongoing application and/or tracking of the individual's musical preferences and affinities. For instance, certain exemplary embodiments may provide artist and song recommendations produced through the aggregation of the individual's explicit selections, metadata-based associations, social network suggestion indicators, and/or the like. As musical tastes are varied, the system may maintain a list of the individual's “core” affinities. Such core affinities may be an artist, artists similar to a specific artist, a song, songs similar to a specific song, musical selections of another individual or individuals (e.g., as available from a social network music site or sites), recommended artists or recommended songs from user-identified music sites, etc. Any match from a user's musical taste web and the music catalog available from the device or from a server or servers providing music catalog may in certain exemplary instances result in a subset of the music, presenting material that has matched the user explicit, user metadata, user social network friends recommendation, and user music site recommendations. As will be further described below, this music may be a compared with the music library available at a given site, and the overlap of these two groups may be presented for user selection.
Further details of an exemplary search state will now be provided. A search typically would be initiated to enable a user to find a list of songs, or a single song, that the user would like to play or add to a collection. Oftentimes, the user does not know the correct spelling of the artist, album, or song. Or the user may know the name of a particular artist but does not necessarily know the exact group or band with which the artist recorded a particular song. Moreover, a user often remembers particular lyrics to a song but not necessarily the song title itself. As still another example, a song may be memorable because of its association with a movie or television show. This information has been very difficult to obtain before the development of entertainment websites focused on providing additional details surrounding the use of music, its popularity, its lyrics, the artists involved in its creation, important performances of the work, and many other music related data. A search using the techniques described herein could help overcome these and/or other challenges.
To accomplish this type of search, artist and song related metadata may be collected from a variety of sources. Searchable criteria may include song genre, popularity (high ranking or frequent presence) on a particular source within a particular time frame, etc. A user may select the song criteria (for example “country”), the timeframe (e.g., “today”), and the source (e.g., heard on “MySpace”). The qualifiers may appear as optional selection buttons offering a choice for each selection criteria.
As public sources for music information become available, a metadata collection system may help provide a relevant source for data ingestion. For instance, users may be able to identify their music styles, e.g., by drawing on source and social data that is relevant to them. An example music style search tool may provide a broad variety of sources, along with a very granular genre and subgenre selection, and/or other music attributes. Further data regarding a song, for example, may be provided by an outside service (e.g., title, artist, album, label, genre, theme, etc.), or may be determined from the instance of media itself (e.g., tempo or beats per minute, instrumentation, etc.).
In this regard,
If the user is simply searching for songs, songs that are present on music device or available from the music device server may be reduced from the domain of all music as follows: availability on the server, availability on a music device, present in venue music style group, then optionally, all music available for this user, or music from my Music Style as recorded on my profile.
In certain exemplary embodiments, a logit and/or probit calculation may be made for each song to determine the likelihood of leaving it in or removing it as an option for playback. The location information may be used to define the overall domain of the location or, in essence, setup the overall “vibe” of place.
In one or more steps not shown in
In steps not shown, but as a process associated with step S1808, the jukebox may communicate with the central server to determine appropriate user-customized playlist/user-customized presentation based on recognized user inclusion criteria. Similar to the above, this sub-process may involve matching metadata associated with the recognized user to metadata and/or tags associated with songs. Further information may be retrieved from external sources, as appropriate, and then matching may also be performed on this further information. For instance, it is possible to gather information from social networking sites, one or more specified social network sites or sites of which user is a member, etc. User's data, user's friends' data, users' friends' friends' data, etc., may be of interest. This information may be communicated regarding the user-customized playlist/user-customized presentation may be communicated from the central server to the jukebox, and the jukebox may be provisioned accordingly, as above. Similar to the above, this may be performed periodically or dynamically (e.g., on recognized user login). Ultimately, in step S1810, user browsing and/or search is enabled in accordance with the user-customized playlist/user-customized presentation.
In one or more steps not shown, user login may be enabled. However, some or all of the recognized user functionality may be overridden by virtue of the event taking place. That is, the jukebox system may or may not perform further limiting and/or make suggestions based on the recognized user information. Similarly, the jukebox system may or may not use other user preferences gleaned from general JB usage to provide recommendations/reordering. In certain scenarios, a user may search for a particular artist, e.g., to search for all albums or songs that artist has provided. In such a case, the jukebox may update its display and to become more suitable for the particular artist, album, genre, etc. For example,
It will be appreciated that different artists may have different artist portals, and the updates (e.g., to the wireframe, elements shown, etc.) may be the same or different than those described above. In that regard,
Various “skins” may be attached to albums, songs, or the like, similar to how depth values may be assigned above. The concept of a skin includes, in certain exemplary embodiments, one or more of images, themes, wireframe displays, web pages, etc., that is/are context specific. Thus, it will be appreciated that the selection of an album, song, artist, etc., may cause a lookup of an appropriate skin and cause a corresponding change in the overall look and feel of the jukebox user interface. The skin may include item selection and/or arrangement information indicating, for example, which control elements are to be selected, where they are to be located, how they are to be sized/shaped/colored, etc. Corresponding information may be specified for non-functional elements such as, for example, background art, etc.
Although certain exemplary embodiments have been described in relation to an artist portal, the techniques may be applied to other concepts. For instance, a skin may be created by a recognized user at the jukebox or remotely, e.g., via the MyTouchTunes user interface, and the skin may be applied upon user login. A user may customize its jukebox skin in accordance with the above defining, for example, which control elements are to be displayed and how they are to be displayed, background art, etc. Similarly, a record label, group of artists, etc., also may have predefined skins that are applied at the above-described and/or other points. As is known, some record labels have distinctive presences, iconic images, etc. It will be appreciated that Def Jam's skin may be markedly different from the MuzikMafia's skin, as well as El Cartel Records' skin, etc.
As is known, jukeboxes typically only display a currently playing song. However, a queue is kept and could be displayed on a display in full or in part. For instance,
The
In certain exemplary embodiments, a jukebox device comprises a display; a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a plurality of instances of media available for playback on or via the jukebox device; at least one processor configured to maintain a queue of instances of media to be played back on the jukebox, the at least one processor being further configured to cause a user interface to be displayed on the display and further configured to respond to inputs to the user interface. The user interface may include an indication of a currently playing instance of media including at least a song name and an artist associated with the instance of media; and an incremental queue reveal module configured to cause the user interface to display information about one or more upcoming instances of media, the information at least initially excluding one or both of song names and artists.
The incremental queue reveal module may be configured to cause the user interface to display information about a predetermined number of instances of media, with the predetermined number being greater than 1. In the alternative, or in addition, it may be configured to cause the user interface to display information about a plurality of instances of media, the number of instances of media depending on the number of instances of media in the queue that are playable within a predetermined amount of time. The predetermined amount of time may be, for example, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, the amount of time until closing, etc.
In certain exemplary embodiments, the incremental queue reveal module is configured to cause the user interface to at least initially display only information about a genre associated with each of the one or more upcoming instances of media, only information associated with a number of beats per minute associated with each of the one or more upcoming instances of media, etc. In certain exemplary embodiments, the initial display may include information only about an artist of each of the one or more upcoming instances of media.
In certain exemplary embodiments, the at least one processor is configured to activate the incremental queue reveal module upon payment of a fee. The amount of information revealed may be made to vary in dependence on the fee collected such that a larger fee corresponds to more information being revealed. Furthermore, the at least one processor may be configured to administer a first pricing scheme that relates the amount of fees due with the amount of information revealed with respect to each instance or media and with respect to a number of instances of media for reveal.
In certain exemplary embodiments, a queue jumping module may be configured to enable the user to move a selected instance of media to a user-specified location in the queue. The at least one processor may activate the queue jumping module upon payment of a fee. Furthermore, the at least one processor is configured may administer a second pricing scheme that relates the amount of fees due to a number of items in the queue to be jumped. The fee may be made to vary proportionally with the number of items in the queue to be jumped. The user interface may be programmed to enable a user to lock in an instance of media, upon payment of a fee, guaranteeing that it cannot be skipped. The incremental queue reveal module may be further configured to indicate whether instances of media are locked in such that they cannot be skipped.
Methods of making and/or using such jukebox devices also may be provided, as may non-transitory computer readable storage mediums tangibly storing instructions for using such jukebox devices/providing such user interfaces. Jukebox systems including plural jukebox devices, for example, also may be provided in different exemplary embodiments. Because the user interfaces of certain exemplary embodiments may be perceived by some users to be complicated, various techniques may be implemented to help bring focus to patron-selectable elements, e.g., song selection navigation. Blurring, fading, enlarging, and/or other techniques may be used to manage the user's focus in different embodiments, and thus may help simplify the experience, even though there are many more features available and those features are more powerful. For instance,
Certain exemplary embodiments may also build mosaics, e.g., from album covers or other artwork. An algorithm may be run on source artwork to make mosaics for use in the jukebox's user interface. Such an algorithm may run in real-time on the jukebox, e.g., to accommodate various mosaic designs based on the source artwork available (e.g., the number of album jackets available) and dynamically employ such mosaic designs in the user interface. A mosaic construction algorithm may use facial and color density recognition to arrange (or prevent the arrangement of) the source artwork in a desired patter, in certain exemplary embodiments.
Such mosaic techniques involve several concepts, including source image selection and manipulation (e.g., for the images used to build the mosaic), the destination image creation (e.g., for the target mosaic being created), and the destination image context (e.g., for how the target mosaic is used). The source images, destination image, and context in which the destination image is to be used may contain a layer of metadata. This metadata facilitates (e.g., through ID matching) to find a wealth of metadata that can be reused to feed a mosaic-creation algorithm. For instance, an album jacket is associated with a genre, style, artist, year, and other information. Play behavior and social network information about those musical elements may also be included to feed the algorithm information about the relative popularity of music elements, the placement of the music elements in relation to a social network environment, etc. For instance, more popular music may be larger, music played by a patron and a patron's friends (to a predetermined degree of separation in certain examples) may be enlarged, etc. In one context, an avatar of a user may be built from albums jackets matching the user's musical preferences, a map of the USA drawn from actual plays as they occur on the network, etc. Further details about these techniques are provided below.
With respect to source image selection and manipulation, mosaics may be built from source images (tiles) that are aggregated to simulate a larger target image. The tiles may be made from a whole image or from a sub-selection of the whole image, a modified source image (e.g., the original image's colors or hues have been altered), etc. Similarly, tiles may be used in any angle, flipped, mirrored, etc., to assemble the target. Image types may be arbitrary and may include, for example, album jackets, artist artwork, jukebox avatars, musical instruments, etc. Certain tiles may be flagged for special treatment by the algorithm. For example, popular albums, songs, or artists may be enlarged, etc.
With respect to destination image creation, it will be appreciated that the mosaic destination is the image being produced using the source tiles. A target may be a static image (e.g., artist artwork, a cowboy hat, the TouchTunes logo, etc), or a moving concept (e.g., an animation or video), or some combination thereof. Other possible destination concepts also are possible. With respect to destination image context, a variety of potential uses for constructed mosaics are possible. For instance, an artist image (e.g., for use in an artist portal as discussed above) may be built, e.g., using the artists' album jackets. As an example, an image of George Straight may be built using album art from his numerous albums. An image describing genre may be built, e.g., using source tiles relevant to that genre. As an example, a cowboy hat or popular artist like Taylor Swift may be built using only country music album jackets). A target may be built using geographical information (e.g., build a map of the USA using album jackets that are popular for a specific region). A background mosaic also may be built, e.g., using current jukebox profile information (the location's most popular genre, the currently playing song, etc.). Mosaics may represent playlists, albums from an artist, etc. There are, of course, other possibilities for the context in which the mosaics may be used.
A user may interact with a mosaic in certain exemplary embodiments. For instance, a mosaic may be enlarged by a user, and the user may select a song, artist, album, playlist, etc., from the mosaic.
Techniques also may be provided for synchronized partial lyrics display. That is, in certain exemplary embodiments, lyrics may be displayed at an appropriate or predetermined time during a song. For example, if the jukebox were playing the Black Eyed Peas song, “I Gotta Feeling,” the words “I Gotta Feeling!!!” could be displayed at the same time they are sung by the artist.
Lyrics also may be arranged in a pattern that reflects the context of the onscreen lyric snippet, also known as kinetic text.
Kinetic text is enabled in certain exemplary embodiments by creating a script that matches or synchs with the song. Thus, a track of metadata including timing, mood, motion, color, image, etc., may be created for a song, and the track may be stored, e.g., as described above. In certain exemplary embodiments, an XML or XML-like tag structure may be created to link together timing, lyrics, and effects including, for instance, sizing/resizing, entry/exit points, zoom from/to locations, pan directions/amounts, etc.
Similar to the above, synchronized lighting projection also may be provided in certain exemplary embodiments. The user interface coloration may be modified to synchronize with the context of the currently playing song. For example, if the jukebox is playing DJ Funk's “The Roof is on Fire,” the user interface may display bright red and orange colorations, e.g., when the words “THE ROOF IS ON FIRE!” are sung. Themes may be developed and associated with one or more songs. For example, a “fire” theme may be created, wherein the jukebox user interface is modified to red and orange colorations. The theme may be associated with songs like DJ Funk's “The Roof is on Fire,” the Bloodhound Gang's “Fire Water Burn,” Johnny Cash's “Ring of Fire,” the Ohio Players' “Fire,” etc. The themes may be linked to the songs, and they may be applied for the entirety of the song in certain example implementation. Alternatively, or in addition, XML or other scripts may be created such that there is a link between a time (or times) when the theme should be activated and a particular song.
Certain exemplary embodiments may incorporate a camera into the jukebox. The camera may be used to create an artist or patron likeness, and the captured image may be treated and included into the user interface. For example, the jukebox's on-board camera may be used to convert the patron's likeness into an on-screen facsimile or caricature of the currently playing artist. The likeness may be caricatured using known automatic or manual techniques, and the modified or unmodified image may be used in a variety of ways. For example, the image may be used as background art, associated with a playlist, associated with a user avatar, incorporated into scripts used during music playback (e.g., to show who selected a song), provided for a mosaic (e.g., for a playlist, of “regulars” at a venue, etc.), and/or the like. The presence of a network connection along with a camera also may be advantageous. For example, it may be possible to have a “live look-in” at a location. A person contemplating whether to visit a bar or club could determine in advance whether it appears to be fun, exciting, “chill,” etc., in advance. A user could also see what is going on at a location while away from home. Live look-ins may be provided via an Internet connection and thus may be accessed through a webpage, a smart phone, or the like. The images also may be analyzed real-time or after the fact to gather demographic data about the location and/or jukebox patrons.
In a similar manner, the jukebox camera could be used a “mirror” to “reflect” what the jukebox sees is going on in the room, on the dance floor, etc. A feed may be provided to the jukebox display itself, remote terminals operably connected to the jukebox but still within the same venue, to suitably equipped TVs or other displays, etc. The reality may be “augmented,” e.g., by adding virtual elements to the mirror image that do not exist in reality. For instance, the image on-screen may be identical to a mirror except that album jackets may float onscreen in front of the user's “reflection.”
In certain exemplary embodiments, the camera may be used as an attract device. More particularly, in certain exemplary embodiments, the jukebox's camera may serve as the basis for a motion detection system that attracts patrons to the jukebox. The jukebox may attract the patron by, for example, increasing or decreasing the intensity of the jukebox's user interface lighting a the patron approaches; welcoming the patron when they are within a predetermined number of feet of the jukebox; playing a sound, such as a heartbeat, that lets patrons know they are getting “colder” or “warmer” as they approach; using edge detection to estimate the size of a group and addressing the audience appropriately via sound or textual display; and/or the like. The message also may be determined based on the type of music playing. Thus, if a group is detected and country music is playing, a message like “Hey, y'all! How about a song?” may be displayed rather than the more generic message, “You look you could use a song.” The main display or any secondary displayed (e.g., an LED array) may be used to display messages like these, e.g., for patron welcoming or other features, potentially before the patron has even physically touched the jukebox. It will be appreciated that the camera may be made to function as a proximity sensor in certain exemplary embodiments, and that certain exemplary embodiments also may additionally or alternatively include separate proximity sensors for like purposes.
It is believed that, on average, 2.2 people are in front of the jukebox at a time when a selection is being made. The camera may help determine that multiple people are in front of the jukebox and make a recommendation for the group as opposed to the individual. Doing so also may help resolve seeming ambiguities in selections, as different group members may have drastically different song requests that are not easily clusterable or classifiable so as to come up with a good recommendation. Thus, recognizing that a group of people are present may relax certain constraints, cause the jukebox to disregard seeming “outliers,” or simply not provide recommendations to a group.
It will be appreciated that the camera may detect lighting levels and adjust jukebox elements so as to take a good quality picture. This may in certain example instances involve adjusting display, LED, and/or rim lighting intensities in connection with a camera flash in a dark or partially lit environment, lowering lighting levels to reduce washout in a bright environment, etc. In certain exemplary embodiments, the users may select an effect such as, for example, washout, saturation, overexposure, etc., and the camera and/or lighting elements may be made to respond according to known photographic techniques for accomplishing the desired effect(s). Flashes may be timed so as to correspond with movement on the screens, e.g., to draw a user's gaze upwards, downwards, or in a particular direction, so that attention focuses on a camera taking a picture (e.g., when the jukebox is operating in photobooth mode). In certain exemplary embodiments, frames or backgrounds may be applied to pictures and in some cases, they may be sponsored (e.g., a Bacardi-sponsored frame may include a tropical feel, etc.) in order to generate more revenue for the site.
In certain exemplary embodiments, a large glass or other panel may be placed over a substantial portion of the jukebox. The panel in certain exemplary embodiments may be made to function as a touch screen panel in certain instances, thereby giving or at least simulating interactive functionality to jukebox elements that otherwise would not be user manipulable. Thus, the panel may serve as a proxy for communication with elements with which a user ordinarily could not interact. The jukebox software may communicate the position of the touched area and take a corresponding action. Fore example, it may be possible to emulate a touch screen LED by placing it beneath a transparent, veritable tactile screen, where the underlying LED array otherwise would not be user manipulable. Examples of functionality that may be imparted to otherwise static elements include, for instance, tracing a user's finger as the user spells out the user's name or other text (e.g., on an LED array), playing a classic “whack-a-mole” type game, detecting when a user is leaning on or otherwise touching the jukebox (which may cause the jukebox to display a message asking the user to avoid leaning on it, inviting the user to make a selection, etc.), and the like. The camera and/or proximity sensors on the jukebox may be used as a part of a security system for the venue in certain exemplary embodiments. That is, in certain exemplary embodiments, the jukebox's camera may be used to detect and/or report an unwanted present. The camera may be used to create an image or video of the unwanted present, if detected. For instance, after closing, the jukebox may be set to a security mode where it appears to be powered down but its camera continues to function. If an intrusion is detected, e.g., via motion detectors, proximity sensors, and/or the jukebox's camera, the camera may create an image or video of the unwanted presence. The jukebox's audio capabilities to communicate with the unwanted presence, e.g., by sounding an alarm, playing music as loud as possible, etc. The jukeboxes LEDs and/or main screen may communicate that the presence has been detected, and/or the main screen may display a captured or live image or video of the intruders. Furthermore, the jukebox may use its network connection, e.g., to email, text message, or otherwise send an alert to the jukebox owner and/or appropriate authorities to apprise the owner and/or the authorities of the unwanted present, initiate a voice or VoIP call to the jukebox owner and/or appropriate authorities, etc. Similar to the techniques described above, in a more “passive” mode, the camera may provide a live look-in mode for the owner and/or authorities to monitor the situation from a local or remote location. In certain exemplary embodiments, the camera on the jukebox may serve as and sometimes even take the place of a closed circuit monitoring system.
In certain example embodiments, a security mode may be entered into at a predefined time (e.g., after closing), upon an input from an authorized person (e.g., shutting down the jukebox for the night), etc. The security mode may in certain exemplary embodiments power down or otherwise deactivate the display screen so that the jukebox as a whole does not appear to be operation. However, the camera disposed on or otherwise connected to the jukebox may capture a stream of images and/or video. That stream may be related to a security subsystem operating in the jukebox network or a separate network. Authorized users may remotely log into the security subsystem (e.g., using a username/password combination, by inputting a unique address or other identifying information) to obtain live look-ins. The jukebox and/or security subsystem may monitor for abnormalities such as, for example, unexpected motion at the venue, etc. Upon the detection of a disturbance, the security subsystem may generate or relay a message to an authorized person. For example, a VoIP call may be initiated to the venue's proprietor, to law enforcement personnel, to a private security company, etc. The jukebox also may be made to sound an alarm, display flashing lights, etc., as a security measure against intrusion into the location.
It will be appreciated that many of the same streaming techniques may be used in connection with other, recreational live look-in techniques described herein. For instance, the jukebox network or other appropriate server system may obtain streaming information from the jukebox and enable users (e.g., registered users) to remotely view the venue, e.g., from an Internet browser. In certain example embodiments, the jukeboxes themselves may act as the servers.
In certain example embodiments, a jukebox device comprises a display; a camera; a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a plurality of instances of media available for playback on or via the jukebox device; and at least one processor configured to: obtain images and/or video from the camera, display said obtained images and/or video from the camera on the display of the jukebox device substantially in real time so that the display substantially mirrors what is detected by the camera, and enable a remote user to view said obtained images and/or video from the camera. The at least one processor may be further configured to cause said obtained images and/or video to be displayed on one or more external display devices provided in a common location with the jukebox device. Similarly, a web server may be configured to enable the remote user to view said obtained images and/or video from the camera.
The at least one processor may be further configured to enter into a security mode at a user-specified time or upon a signal from an authorized user. The at least one processor causes the camera to act as a motion detector when said security mode is entered. The at least one processor is configured to raise an alarm when motion is unexpectedly detected. The alarm may include initiation of a VoIP call to one or more specified parties; sending SMS, emails or other messages; causing the display and/or lighting on the jukebox to become illuminated and/or flash; an audible alarm; and/or the like.
Methods of making and/or using such jukebox devices also may be provided, as may non-transitory computer readable storage mediums tangibly storing instructions for using such jukebox devices/providing such user interfaces. Jukebox systems including plural jukebox devices, for example, also may be provided in different exemplary embodiments.
Certain exemplary embodiments also provide adaptive jukebox personalization features including, for example, personality generation and personality expression. Personality generation relates to the process of collecting various pieces of information and using them to characterize the personality of the jukebox. This may be an ongoing process. For example, each time a user interacts with the jukebox, new information is generated and may be collected.
Different types of information may be considered to define the personality of a jukebox. These factors may include some or all of the following and/or other factors: the jukebox's geographic location, the most popular songs played on a jukebox, the type of music played on a jukebox (i.e., genre, style, mood, etc.), plays made on the whole jukebox network, information as to whether additional weight should be given to a current patron's selections (e.g., if they are a member of MyTouchTunes or bar staff), etc.
The jukebox then may be assigned a personality type, e.g., based on the collected information. Personality types may be discrete in the sense that any given jukebox is assigned only one type at any given time. The personality types, and the criteria matching those types, may be defined by the jukebox provider. For example, as a basic implementation, the most popular music genre in a location may be used to define personality types. In such a case, jukeboxes may be referred to as “Rock type,” “R&B type,” etc. Personality generation may also involve adjustments and refinements to the jukebox personality type over time, e.g., as new information is collected. For instance, a jukebox initially be categorized as a “Rock type” jukebox, but may be refined over time to indicate a preference for “energetic” rock songs rather than “slow” rock songs or “rock ballads.”
Thus, it will be appreciated that information may be gathered, an initial assignment as to one of plural predefined categories may be made, and that adjustments or refinements to the initial assignment may be made over time, e.g., as more data is collected. It will be appreciated that the adjustments or refinements may be sub-classifications within a particular category, re-classification into a new category or sub-category, etc.
The personality expression of a jukebox may be understood as how the user experience is affected as a result of the jukebox's personality. For instance, the general appearance of the jukebox may be modified to match the jukebox personality. Such modifications may include some or all of the following and/or other characteristics: displaying information about the jukebox's location, a custom UI theme representing the personality of the jukebox, a lightshow pattern and coloration that reflects the personality of the jukebox, background image of an artist as a UI backdrop according to the location's personality (see artist portal above), etc.
The example techniques described above also may apply to jukebox adaptive music browsing and/or searching. For instance, when browsing music on the jukebox, emphasis may be placed on preferred music genres, styles, moods, etc., based on the jukebox personality. The same or a similar approach may be applied to music searching. That is, in certain example instances, more emphasis may be placed on preferred music types in search results, e.g., such that songs that match the personality are listed first or near the top of the results, or at least higher than they might otherwise be, etc.
Along similar lines, in certain exemplary embodiments, a jukebox search algorithm may provide incremental auto-complete suggestions to patrons with respect to the songs, artists, and albums most played on that jukebox, and/or that match the personality of the jukebox. The algorithm may draw from a variety sources that identify the preferences of the user such as, for example, the DMA, city, MyTouchTunes user profile, and possibly the Facebook user profile. Similar techniques may be applied as to the jukebox personality, e.g., for unregistered or not recognized patrons.
For example, as a patron enters the letters “Rol” into the search field, the auto-complete may recognize the user, and determine that the Latin artist Rolando should be listed higher on the auto-complete suggestions than the Rolling Stones, who are more popular across the jukebox network, but not necessarily more popular to the jukebox user or on the jukebox in use.
The notion of jukebox personality also may be used to send music content packages to jukeboxes according to their personalities in certain example implementations.
Personalization of the jukebox and/or the user also may be used for targeted advertisements. For instance, the personality of a jukebox may be used to help determine which ads it will receive or display based on some or all of the following and/or other factors: location specific events (e.g., Happy Hour, Ladies' Night, New Year's Party, etc.), local concerts (e.g., Arcade Fire, your favorite indie band is playing in New York this weekend), local events (e.g., local fund-raising, blood collections at the local community center, etc.), and/or the like.
Furthermore, contextual advertisements may be based on the personality of the jukebox and/or the jukebox user. For recognized users who have logged in, the personality may be known. However, for anonymous users, advertisements may be displayed based on a more current browsing behavior and song selection (e.g., during a current selection). For instance, as the user browses the alternative rock genre on the jukebox, the jukebox may display advertisements for an upcoming Lollapalooza event.
Further personalization may be possible in connection with contextual advertisements by taking a picture at the time of the user's interaction (or from an archive if the user is a recognized user) and then incorporating the user's likeness into the advertisement. For example, if the user is browsing Jimmy Buffett music, a picture of the user may be taken and incorporated into a picture with the user on the beach and an advertisement for cheap travel to the islands.
Certain exemplary embodiments may enable a user to create set lists for play. For example, a user may browse the catalog of songs, etc., and select songs for potential playback on the jukebox. The user may reorder songs, delete songs, add songs, etc., to the working set list during a session, much like a person may place items in a shopping cart and remove some other items. Once the set list is defined by the user, it may be submitted for play in whole or in part as one or more packages. Similarly, the user may make some or all of the songs in the set list play immediately for a premium. In that regard, the user may simply drag and drop the set list, or a portion thereof, into a predefined area of the user interface designated for causing immediate play of the song(s). Thus, it will be appreciated that the jukebox user interface may be configured to allow a user to create of a group of songs that are then queued for play by the user in a single action, and an advanced set list may enable the user to modify the set list's contents before it is executed (e.g., such that songs may be added, removed, reordered, given a higher priority via the play next or jump the queue function, etc.). This set list may be executed using a user interface element or a physical activator on the jukebox The set list may be advantageous in certain exemplary embodiments because it does not require a user to be logged in to the jukebox. In other words, it will be appreciated that the set list techniques described herein may be particularly advantageous for ad hoc creation of a list of songs for playback by an anonymous user. It will be appreciated that the user may be able to save the set list as a playlist for subsequent use, e.g., by registering with the jukebox and/or logging in to an already existing account.
The collection may include a predetermined number of elements. The elements in the selection may be user determined (e.g., in the case of a playlist), determined by the provider of the jukebox (e.g., in the case of a genre), a proprietor of the location (e.g., for a theme night or for the location in general), etc. In the
Once a collection is determined, a collection type may be further specified. There are three buttons 2406 on the
Once a collection type is specified, the items in the collection may be ordered, e.g., using an ordering indicator 2408. For instance, three illustrative ordering buttons are provided below the fan-like arrangement of songs 2402. The “A-Z” button organizes the elements in alphabetical order, the star button organizes the elements in terms of popularity, and the calendar button provides a time-based arrangement of the elements (e.g., by release date). The selection of a particular order will, in turn, cause a “scrubber bar” 2440 to appear. In the
Thus, in certain exemplary embodiments, a jukebox device comprises a display; a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a plurality of instances of media available for playback on or via the jukebox device; and at least one processor configured to cause a user interface to be displayed on the display and further configured to respond to inputs to the user interface. The user interface includes: at least one first user interface element configured to enable a user to select a collection of instances of media available for playback from a plurality of possible collections of instances of media each said collection representing a different partial subset of media available for playback on or via the jukebox device, at least one second user interface element configured to enable the user to select one of plural possible grouping modes for grouping the instances of media in the collection, the grouping modes including artist, album, and song groupings, wherein the selected grouping mode determines items to be presented to the user for possible selection, at least one third user interface element configured to enable the user to select one of plural possible ordering modes for ordering the items to be presented to the user for possible selection, and a display area for displaying at least some of the items to be presented to the user for possible selection, the items being ordered within the display area according to the selected ordering mode. The at least one first user interface element, the at least one second user interface element, and the at least one third user interface element are all displayable on the display at the same time. The collections may include predefined genres and/or musical themes, playlists, and/or the like in different implementations.
The ordering modes may include, for example, an alphabetical order mode, a popularity-based order mode, and a chronological or date order mode. Each item to be presented to the user for possible selection may be assigned a popularity value, with the popularity-based order mode ordering the items to be presented to the user for possible selection based on the assigned popularity values. The popularity values may be assigned based on one or more of: item popularity across a jukebox network, item popularity at a venue at which the jukebox device is located, item popularity on an industry chart, and/or item popularity at one or more social networking sites. The chronological or date order mode may in some cases be disabled when the artist grouping mode is selected.
The user interface may in certain exemplary embodiments further display at least one fourth user interface element, with the at least one fourth user interface element being adaptable based on the selected ordering mode. The at least one fourth user interface element may include letters when the alphabetical order mode is selected, numbers or lines corresponding to popularity values when the popularity-based order mode is selected, a date or calendar display when the chronological or date order mode is selected, etc. In certain implementations, the display area may include a partial subset of the items to be presented to the user for possible selection, with the partial subset being determined based on a selection made with respect to the at least one fourth user interface element.
A partial subset of items may be displayable in the display area in a fan-like arrangement across a general center area of the display, where the exact items displayed are changeable based on user manipulation of the at least one fourth user interface element and/or user input to the display area. In certain exemplary embodiments, a user selection of a displayed album item causes the display of songs within the selected collection and associated with the selected album item to be displayed in the display area, and/or a user selection of a displayed artist item causes the display of songs within the selected collection and associated with the selected artist item to be displayed in the display area. In certain exemplary embodiments, a user selection of a displayed song item causes a popup screen to be displayed, with the popup screen enabling the user to confirm that the selected song is to be played back. The display of the popup screen may be accompanied by the blurring, fading, and/or reduction to grayscale of user interface elements behind the popup screen.
Methods of making and/or using such jukebox devices also may be provided, as may non-transitory computer readable storage mediums tangibly storing instructions for using such jukebox devices/providing such user interfaces. Jukebox systems including plural jukebox devices, for example, also may be provided in different exemplary embodiments.
Many jukeboxes, kiosks, gaming devices, and the like have used exterior lights to attract and/or emphasize various events. These devices typically issue direct commands to a color-processing device. Unfortunately, however, this control technique oftentimes makes it difficult to tailor the overall experience (e.g., acoustic, user interface, electromechanical, environmental, and peripheral) to changing or event-related situations, e.g., to adopt a different appearance in a coordinated fashion. More particularly, what has been absent is the ability to contextually alter these behaviors in a way that allows the device and its user interface to collaborate as an integrated system. A solution to this problem is to create a control system that couples the behavior of visual peripherals and displays to a theme. The theme thus in certain exemplary embodiments would help describe the standard behavior for the user interface and the peripheral lights.
The exemplary embodiments described herein may be used in connection with a jukebox of the type shown and described in, for example, U.S. application Ser. No. 29/371,255, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
As shown in
A physical interaction button 2608 may be provided for taking an action designated by the user interface. In certain exemplary embodiments, lighting elements may be disposed around the button 2608. A decorate “play” or other symbol may be placed on the button 2608 to improve its aesthetic appearance.
One or more lighting elements 2610 may be provided around the periphery of the jukebox device 2600. The one or more lighting elements 2610 may be operable as a single element, as segments, etc., in different embodiments. In certain exemplary embodiments, the one or more lighting elements 2610 may be provided, constructed, and/or controlled so as to simulate more classic or vintage-looking neon lights. Although not shown, one or more light elements may be disposed at or pointing towards the rear of the jukebox device, e.g., so as to provide for a “wall wash” or back light. A frame 2612 also may be provided around the outer periphery of the jukebox device 2600, e.g., so as to give it a completed or “seamless” look and feel.
One or more payment acceptors may be provided. As shown in the
A common script or data set may be provided for synchronizing the display elements, e.g., in terms of color or colors, periodicity for change, synchronization rules, etc. It will be appreciated that by substituting a new data set, the complete overall appearance of the device and the rendered user interface may be changed without altering any of the software or hardware. This would, in turn, allow the same system to be used in diverse commercial and/or residential establishments, and further provide the ability to adapt the established design and often trademarked color usage that identifies the brand.
Such techniques also may allow independent locations that have invested in specific lighting and design to tailor the color, intensity, and pace of all lighting so that it would fit with their established decor, all the while benefiting from the manual or automatic coordination of the on-screen user interface that would appear to have been customer colored for this location. In certain exemplary embodiments, the system may be set to use a preplanned color palette but to apply this palette to different rhythms, e.g., either the actual beat and/or frequency of the song being played at this instant, or a set pace that was established for the location. The combination of this color and pattern may help constitute the location's lighting theme. The customization may be enhanced with a set of images that is gathered into an image collection such as “Country” or Urban,” and these images may have associated metadata that describes a lighting theme.
As the images are presented on the system's embedded screen, or on remote screens that are provided with content from the system, the lighting may follow the entrance and exit animations of the images. This lighting rhythm may be “with slideshow” and the light color, luminosity, and rhythm that is to be followed as the image may be presented based on metadata associated with each image, e.g., as in a matte for a print, the lighting color may enhance or complement certain colors within the image. This advantageously may help provide the ability to extend the visual impact of an image beyond its actual size, e.g., by projecting a complementary color or colors at the same time.
In certain exemplary embodiments, the coordination of the presentation of an image and the lighting attributes may involve the presenting of a still or full-motion advertisement on the local or remote screen. The brand colors or signature contrasts could be presented temporarily, e.g., in accordance with the display of the advertisement. The pattern may be overridden based on a defined event. For example, if a music playing event occurs, then the light pattern on a device may adopt the rhythm and color choices to provide accompanying song visualization. In other words, in certain exemplary embodiments, priorities may be defined, and the advertisement coloration effects may be made secondary to music related events, etc.
Each colorization pattern may be described in terms of “key frames” in certain exemplary embodiments. For example, for each channel, there may be multiple key frames, with each one being defined by the end value for the color of the channel to be computed starting from the current color, to a specific point in time, using a given easing mode. The point in time may be defined using a color value representing the progress in the interval of [0, 1]. The easing mode may be a mathematical function that translates the time into a dimensional progress factor used when going from key frame to key frame.
Below is an illustrative script that defines a lightshow pattern in accordance with certain exemplary embodiments. More particularly, the example script below defines a lightshow pattern with a duration of 10 seconds and operating on the color of the 6 channels that constitute the wash wall. For the first channel, the first key frame will move the color from black to blue in the first 10 percent of the duration of the pattern. The second will move the color from blue to green from 10 percent to 20 percent of the duration. The third will move the color from green to red from the following 20 percent of the duration to the 30 percent of the duration, and the last key frame will move the color from red to black from 30 to 40 percent of the duration.
For the second channel, the first key frame will move the color from black to blue from 10 to 20 percent of the duration of the pattern. The second will move the color from blue to green from 20 to 30 percent of the duration. The third will move the color from green to red from the following 30 percent of the duration to the 40 percent of the duration, and last key frame will move the color from red to black from 40 to 50 percent of the duration, and so forth.
In certain example implementations, the coloration might not be exact as between different display elements, even when the same colors are specified. For instance, the LEDs in the array may have a certain CRI or other value influencing the color produced, whereas the main display may have a second CRI or other value influencing the color produced. The LEDs in the LED array may be different still from the rim light segment, etc. The wall wash may be influenced by the paint on the wall, ambient light, etc.
To provide a consistent coloration, the system may specify different colors for output such that they seem to be the same to a viewer. The differences may be predetermined in some respects, e.g., for the LED array, the main display area, and the rim lights. However, it may not be possible to always predict and pre-compensate for location-specific factors that may influence the ultimate coloration. In such cases, the camera may be used to help determine the characteristics of the environment. Data from the camera may be analyzed and/or used to adjust the coloration of one or more elements so that a consistent coloration is possible. A software-based color filtering module may be provided in certain exemplary embodiments for helping to collect the data, calculate offset values (e.g., in accordance with a mathematical formula), and providing instructions or color offset codes for the operating system to consider when indicating what colors are to be output for each of the display elements.
In certain exemplary embodiments, a jukebox device is provided. It may include, for example, at least one display device; a generally elongate array of LED elements provided above the at least one display device; a backwash light arranged at a rear portion of the jukebox device and configured to generate light behind the jukebox device; a rim light disposed around a periphery of the jukebox device; a substantially circular activation switch or button; a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a plurality of instances of media available for playback on or via the jukebox device; and at least one processor configured to provide a user interface and further configured to coordinate lighting events based at least in part on events associated with the user interface. At least one payment collector having an associated payment mechanism attract light provided in close relative proximity thereto also may be provided.
The at least one processor may coordinate lighting events in dependence on a script (e.g., an XML-based script), and the script may include indications as to what lights are to be activated, when the lights are to be activated, and what color is to be displayed. At least some instances of media may have themes associated therewith, with the themes being recognizable by the at least one processor such that, when played, the at least one processor creates lighting events in connection with the corresponding theme. Similarly, the jukebox device may be configured to display advertisements, with at least some of the advertisements having themes associated therewith, and with the themes being recognizable by the at least one processor such that, when displayed, the at least one processor creates lighting events in connection with the corresponding theme.
A single touch sensitive substrate may be disposed over both the at least one display device and the array of LED elements. The at least one processor may be configured to monitor for inputs to the touch sensitive substrate and selectively activate LED elements in the array of LED elements in response to a detected touch to an overlying area.
The at least one processor may be configured to coordinate lighting events having consistent colors produced by different light sources by offsetting the color values to be generated to account for differences in the light generated by the light sources and/or in response to the surrounding environment. In certain exemplary embodiments, the jukebox device may further comprise a camera. The at least one processor may be configured to use data from the camera to determine ambient conditions.
Methods of making and/or using such jukebox devices also may be provided, as may non-transitory computer readable storage mediums tangibly storing instructions for using such jukebox devices/providing such user interfaces. Jukebox systems including plural jukebox devices, for example, also may be provided in different exemplary embodiments.
In certain exemplary embodiments, karaoke features may be provided. Karaoke features may be enabled, for example, by linking songs to lyrical scripts. Such scripts may have lyrics associated with times in a song and optionally may further include animation information (e.g., kinetic text) for highlighting text as it is to be sung, removing text once it has been sung, introducing new text that it about to be sung, etc.
In certain exemplary embodiments, the jukebox may receive live streams. For instance, in certain exemplary embodiments, a DJ may simultaneously stream music to multiple jukeboxes at multiple locations. Similarly, a DJ in a location may tie into a venue's jukebox system and turn some or all jukeboxes in the venue into a speaker system.
If a user wishes to play a song, a user may select any of the control elements displayed in the fan-like array 2814 that is the general center of display 2804. Control elements are provided for browsing songs in connection with lists of predefined genres, local favorites (which may be developed based on actual jukebox usage at one or more locations, specified by a authorized person such as a routeman or location owner), new and popular songs (e.g., as determined based on the new media distributed to the venue or the master catalog of songs; based on plays at one or more locations such as all locations, all locations owned by a particular person; all locations served by a particular operator; in accordance with an industry chart; etc.), in accordance with playlists defined at the site and/or made publically available by registered jukebox patrons, etc. A user also may search for songs locally and/or from the master catalog, e.g., using the appropriate control element. A user may switch between karaoke jukebox mode, normal jukebox mode, and photobooth mode, e.g., by selecting a corresponding control element from the mode array 2816. Ad banners 2818 may also be displayed in certain exemplary embodiments. Example photobooth user interface features are described in U.S. application Ser. No. 13/621,922, filed Sep. 18, 2012, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference. In certain exemplary embodiments, operation in photobooth mode may be limited to a predefined duration (e.g., 2 minutes, 5 minutes, etc.) and/or number of pictures or picture cycles (e.g., 3 pictures or picture cycles, etc.), e.g., to help avoid a situation where the jukebox is dominated and cannot be directly used for normal jukebox and/or karaoke jukebox related operations.
A user may move throughout the list by selecting a number of different control elements. For example, left and right arrows 3002a and 3002b may be used to advance the list one “page” at a time. For instance, when the master karaoke song list from which a selection may be made includes a number of songs greater than the number of songs that can be shown on a display, subsets can be organized into pages. Pressing the left and right arrows 3002a and 3002b may turn one “page” at a time to display more and more songs, similar to a conventional printed-out songbook.
An example page-turning action is shown in connection with
A user may also press down on a page to achieve a similar action, e.g., as shown in connection with
Referring once again to
The ordering indicators 3006 are similar to those described above in connection with ordering indicator 2408. Thus, similar to the above, once a selection is made using the main karaoke screen shown in
A user may change the collection, and cause the display to be updated, by selecting the artist button 3008a, the songs button 3008b, or the songbooks button 3008c. A user also may turn to karaoke-related games by pressing the games button 3010, and also may institute a search using the search button 3012. Thus, it will be appreciated that the options shown in the fan-like array 2900 in
When a user selects a song from the list shown in
Below the title bar 3502 of the screen 3500, the karaoke performer is able to identify him/herself. The
In certain exemplary embodiments, a jukebox user may be registered through the myTouchTunes social network. In certain exemplary embodiments, users may log in to the jukeboxes by having the jukeboxes communicate with other social network sites that are maintained by companies other than the jukebox provider (such as, for example, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc.). The jukebox device may communicate with an external social network over a network and through a suitably configured interface, e.g., after selecting which social network should be used as the credentialing service. In certain exemplary embodiments, users may be recognized by providing credentials to non-social network services, e.g., to email or web providers (such as Yahoo, MSN, or the like). In certain exemplary embodiments, a user may use the camera provided on the jukebox to take a picture to be used as an avatar image if an avatar image is not already set, if a guest wishes to create a temporary avatar that may or may not be persisted for and presented in connection with future performances (e.g., the next performance, performances within a night, performances within a predefined time period such as a week or so, etc.). Example social network related interface techniques are described in for example, U.S. application Ser. No. 13/621,922, filed Sep. 18, 2012, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
A user may add a karaoke request to a karaoke queue by pressing the perform button 3512. It will be appreciated that the perform button 3512 may in some ways resemble a physical hardware button of the jukebox, thereby providing a point of similarity that ties together a user's hardware and software interactions, e.g., to create a more holistic and unique user experience. It will be appreciated that in general, the large physical button may be used to complete a predefined action (such as, for example, the triggering of a play, the selection of a song to perform, the initiation of a search based on entered criteria, etc.). In any event, at this point, a suitable number of credits may be deducted from the credit counter. Once the song is added to the karaoke queue, the example song confirmation screen in
The user may also have the option to add more songs at this time, or indicate that selections are done. In the former case, the
In certain exemplary embodiments, one or more external displays may be selectively controllable by the karaoke jukebox. For instance, regular television or other programming may be provided by the displays, e.g., until the jukebox is put into karaoke mode. At that time, the jukebox may take control of some or all of the displays in order to show karaoke-related material. Example karaoke-related material may include, for example, the above-described and/or other attract loops, lyrics, feedback, the results of karaoke-related game (e.g., in connection with the example karaoke-related games discussed herein and/or other games), etc. The external display(s) may in addition or in the alternative display who is “up next” in terms of the performer or a stage name for the performer, an actual or approximate wait time until the next song or next several songs are to be performed, what will be sung next and/or for the next several songs, the key the songs will be sung in, how long the songs are scheduled to last, etc. It will be appreciated that, in general, anything that can be displayed on the karaoke jukebox display(s) can also be displayed on one or more external displays controlled by the karaoke jukebox.
Although the
As suggested by the
There occasionally are pauses or instrumental breaks in a song where performers do not sing.
It will be appreciated that the main karaoke display and/or external displays may provide visual cues to a KJ or other person moderating a karaoke event. These cues may expressly or impliedly suggest that a microphone should be handed over to the person singing next, indicating when the next performer or group of performers should get ready and/or “take the stage,” etc. In some cases, the visual cues may even replace the need for a KJ or other moderator.
Referring once again to
Referring once again to
Once a particular songbook is selected, the
A duet or other multi-part karaoke song may have its lyrics formatted to reflect the differences in parts.
It will be appreciated that the song sub-mode may operate in a manner that is quite similar to the artist sub-mode. However, instead of organizing songs in the song list by artist, the song list instead will be organized by song title. Otherwise, the paging, scrubber bar, and/or other navigational aspects may function in much the same way.
Another example game is dubbed “Duet Roulette” and involves the random selection of a partner and/or a song to be sung. In certain exemplary embodiments, a list of duets may be maintained and selected from at random. Known jukebox users, members of a social networking site who have checked into a location, and/or others may be selected at random in certain exemplary embodiments. In certain exemplary embodiments, users may have to identify themselves as being willing to participate in a duet to be eligible to participate in this game. Messages may be sent to the parties to perform the duet in the above-described and/or other ways. The performance may take place in connection with the techniques set forth above, e.g., I connection with
Still another example game is dubbed “Kamikaze Karaoke” and involves random song selection.
A back button 4904 enables a user to see a listing of the songs and/or performers who recently have performed. If a score or rating is associated with a performance, that information may be visible as well (e.g., from the main display itself, or once an indicator corresponding to the performance for which additional information is desired is selected). One or more next song indicators 4906a-b also may be shown. Each subsequent song indicator 4906 may indicate the singer, the song, and/or an approximate wait time for the song. In certain exemplary embodiments, precise times may be provided, whereas other exemplary embodiments may provide estimates (e.g., rounded up or down to the closest minute, always rounded up to the closest minute, etc.). Estimates may be provided at the minute level or at some other incremental level such as, for example, at the 15 second, 30 second, or other interval. In certain exemplary embodiments, estimates may be provided at the 30 second level for songs expected to be performed within 5 minutes, at the minute level for songs expected to be performed in 5-15 minutes, at the 3 minute level for songs to be performed in 15-30 minutes, and/or the like. These estimates may take into account lead-in and/or lead-out audio and/or video segments. In certain exemplary embodiments, a short amount of intro and outro audiovisual information may be provided, e.g., in connection with a custom music programming (CMP) channel. The CMP channel may feature a high-energy playlist to play songs or clips before and/or after a performance. This may help to maintain an energetic or other desired atmosphere in the karaoke jukebox location, provide more natural transitions between performers (even in situations where the is no KJ or other moderator), etc. In certain exemplary embodiments, multiple CMP channels may be provided, e.g., for different themes. The themes may be specified by a location and, for example, country bars may have a first channel, biker bars may have a second channel, etc. In certain exemplary embodiments, the CMP channel may be generic. In certain exemplary embodiments, CMP clips may be selected based on the song just performed and/or about to be performed, e.g., so that a clip with an appropriate “feel” will prepare the audience for a transition. In certain exemplary embodiments, intro and/or outro clips may last about 45 seconds or some other longer or shorter duration that may be consistent or variable across different clips in different exemplary embodiments.
The number of next song indicators 4906 to be displayed on the screen may be fixed or set by the operator, KJ, or other authorized person. In certain exemplary embodiments, the ability to see the queue, in whole or in part, may be an added feature reserved for certain users (e.g., registered jukebox users, jukebox users who sign in through a social network type account, etc.). In addition, or in the alternative, in certain exemplary embodiments, the ability to see the queue, in whole or in part, may be provided upon the payment of additional money. In some cases, more money may be charged to see more of the queue.
The VIM 5106, in turn, includes video (e.g., HDMI, component, etc.) and/or CATS connections to one or more displays 5108 in a location and thus provides a connection between the jukebox 5100 and the one or more displays 5108. The VIM 5106 may be a hardware component separate from the jukebox 5100 in certain exemplary embodiments, whereas it may be integrated into the jukebox housing and/or part of the main I/O board of the jukebox 5100 in other exemplary embodiments. The VIM 5106 may serve as a sort of relay in certain exemplary embodiments but, as indicated above, it may “cut into” normal programming on the one or more displays 5108 in response to suitable control signals from the jukebox 5100. It is noted that outputs from the VIM 5106 may be split (e.g., using splitters or the like) in certain exemplary embodiments to provide the same display and/or control signals to multiple different displays. As indicated above, a camera (e.g., a 720p camera or the like), touch screen (e.g., based on a 26″ or other sized display), LED array, LED wash lights, etc., may be provided. It will be appreciated that the displays and/or lighting elements, for example, may function independent of one another. For instance, the wash light elements may be set to randomly display lights, programmed to match what is happening on the display, etc.
Because of the few components, karaoke setup may be quite easy.
It will be appreciated that the jukebox, when operating in the karaoke mode, may be at least partially controlled in via a mobile device. A mobile application of the sort described in 2012/0158531 may be extended in this vein, e.g., to enable a user to search for and select karaoke songs to be performed, pay for karaoke performances, etc. The search and/or browse features that are provided may be simplified versions of the search and/or browse features disclosed herein. For instance, users may organize karaoke songbooks by artist, song, predefined collections, etc., and/or may initiate searches across all artists, songs, songbooks, lyrics, and/or the like. If a user checks in to a particular location, or selects a particular location, the user may use the mobile app to search for music available through the relevant jukebox, e.g., by conducting a search based on a karaoke song list accessed from the karaoke jukebox device itself. In a similar vein, users also may see how many credits they have, view lyrics, determine what key a song is in, etc., and generally obtain the same information as that set forth above. The mobile devices also may be synched up with a particular performance so that lyrics appear on the mobile device itself, thereby creating a sense that the jukebox is at least partially controlling the mobile device. This may be beneficial because the mobile device may in essence serve as yet another ancillary display device, e.g., for lyrics presentations, attract modes, etc.
In addition to searching for songs, users may also have the ability to search for karaoke-enabled jukeboxes. This may include, for example, the ability to search for scheduled karaoke nights, locations that have “on-demand” karaoke features enabled, etc. To facilitate the search, operators, location owners, and/or other persons may access a website or use a function provided to the jukeboxes to specify their karaoke schedules and/or indicate whether karaoke is available on-demand. The website may know which locations are involved by virtue of the credentials through which the person logged in, in view of a unique identifier associated with a jukebox used to access the website, through location information specifically provided by the authorized person, etc. In certain exemplary embodiments, karaoke scheduling information may be maintained locally (e.g., on the jukebox, local computer, or the like) and distributed to a central server upon a “commit” or other operation. Once the scheduling information is provided to the central server or other accessible data store, the application may search through it, e.g., in connection with geographic restrictions, time/date restrictions, theme restrictions, and/or the like, that may be specified by the user and/or gleaned from the user's device (through GPS, radio triangulation, and/or other techniques).
Mobile app users may check in to locations, which may synch their devices to the jukeboxes. This may make it possible to use mobile apps to record part of all of karaoke performances, e.g., as disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 13/621,922, filed Sep. 18, 2012.
It will be appreciated that the flowcharts and use cases presented above are provided by way of example and without limitation. Other flowcharts and use cases are possible in connection with different exemplary embodiments of this invention.
The metadata and/or tags associated with the songs may be provided by a commercial service, by the jukebox system, users, and/or some combination of these and/or other providers. Some such data may be determined automatically (e.g., through Fourier analysis and/or other transforms). For music, metadata and/or tags may be representative of information including, for example, artist name, album name, song name, genre/style (which may be hierarchical in some instances), Billboard position (when applicable), release year, popularity based on network plays information, lyrics, tempo, beats per minute (BPM), mood, instrumental characteristics (e.g., strident electric guitars, booming drums, twangy guitar, etc.), vocal characteristics (e.g., aggressive, prominent vocal harmonies, screaming, etc.), intensity characteristics (e.g., high energy, moderate, laid back, etc.) timbre (e.g., bright, dark, rich, etc.), and/or the like. Potential suppliers of this and/or other information include, for example, AMG, BMAT, DoubleV3, EchoNest MixZing, Gracenote, Mufin MusicIP, Music Box, Music Genome Project, and Syntonetic.
Certain exemplary embodiments relate to an entertainment center comprising a computer capable of communicating with networks, wherein said computer is further connected to at least one display through standard analog, digital, or network-addressable displays, said computer being operable to interact with a remote device connected to one of said networks in communication with said computer, said remote device being operable to accept a code and transmit said code to said computer, and wherein said computer can validate against a database or against an algorithm the validity of said code and, upon positive validation, said computer is configured to allocate a monetary value or a credit value to said remote device. The remote device may be operable to browse content contained on said computer and said remote device may be further operable to select and pay for said content using said monetary or said credit value, said computer may be operable to reduce said monetary or said credit value upon a selection by said remote device. The code may instead or in addition be sent to the remote device and entered on the computer.
Certain exemplary embodiments relate to an out-of-home entertainment center coupled with at least one Internet-based messaging system and/or a social networking site and coupled with at least one remote device, said remote device being connected to the out of home entertainment center by a wired or wireless local area network or through the Internet, wherein the use of some of the entertainment center services by said remote device causes said entertainment center to send messages to said at least one Internet-based messaging system. Connecting the system through the Internet may require a user to input a code to the remote device that uniquely identifies the entertainment center.
Some of the handheld devices referred to herein may be those described, for example, in application Ser. No. 11/902,790, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present disclosure has used certain terms that should not be interpreted as limiting the invention to a particular embodiment, hardware components and configurations, software configurations, etc. For example, many features and examples have been described in relation to their existence within a bar, pub, or other environment. However, it will be appreciated that the features present in the exemplary embodiments of the present invention are adaptable for use in any location where a jukebox (or multiple jukeboxes) may be located. Similarly, while certain features and functions are described with reference to usage by “users,” “owners,” “operators,” “patrons,” etc., it will be appreciated that these terms are generic and may, in most cases, be used interchangeably depending on the embodiment chosen and the feature employed. For example, while it may be advantageous to limit the initial song selection to owners and/or operators, in certain exemplary embodiments, patrons may play a role in the initial song selection. It will be appreciated that the term “display” includes, for example, monitors connected to computers directly or remotely, or embedded ICs such as IP TV technology. Displays may be network addressable. Also, standard digital signs (LED based) also may be considered displays and/or may be provided as network addressable displays.
Although certain exemplary embodiments have been described in connection with out-of-home locations, it will be appreciated that the techniques described herein may be adapted for use in an in-home or personal jukebox.
Still further, particular hardware combinations and configurations are disclosed which represent only one way which the embodiments may be constructed. Central servers may, in some exemplary embodiments, be comprised of one or more servers acting together or separately to coherently provide the full range of services necessary to enable a functioning jukebox. For example, a cluster of servers may comprise a virtual central server, with one server providing media, another tracking membership, still another processing licensing, etc. Similarly, the local servers described herein may be incorporated into the jukeboxes. For example, the local servers may appear to function independently, even though they exist as part (e.g. partition) of an integrated mass storage device within the jukebox. Indeed, as hard disks become larger and less expensive, they may preferably serve the functions of local servers.
Also, although the term “song” has been used sometimes in the above-description, this term is not intended to be limiting to the scope of the invention, and any instance or instances of media (e.g., song, video, song/video combination, data, information etc.) can be used in any embodiment herein and still fall within the intended scope of the invention.
Lastly, it will be appreciated that the screen shots and software arrangements presented herein are only one exemplary method for organizing and displaying the features disclosed herein. Other configurations are possible and are therefore contemplated herein.
While the preferred aspects of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and/or modifications can be made. Thus, the specific description herein is meant to be exemplary only and is not intended to limit the invention beyond the terms of appended claims.
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/074,863 filed Mar. 18, 2016 (U.S. Pat. No. 9,959,012 issued May 1, 2018) which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/833,173 filed Mar. 15, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,292,166 issued Mar. 22, 2016, which is a continuation-in-part (CIP) of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/621,922 filed Sep. 18, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,324,064 issued Apr. 26, 2016, which claims the benefit of Provisional Application Nos. 61/584,750 filed Jan. 9, 2012 and 61/536,015 filed Sep. 18, 2011; this application is also a continuation-in-part (CIP) of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/138,660 filed Mar. 5, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,076,155, which is a National Stage Application of International Application No. PCT/US2010/000799 filed Mar. 17, 2010, which claims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 61/202,617 filed Mar. 18, 2009; and this application is also a continuation-in-part (CIP) of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/929,466 filed Jan. 26, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,521,375 issued Dec. 13, 2016, which claims the benefit of Provisional Application Nos. 61/431,036 filed Jan. 9, 2011 and 61/298,509 filed Jan. 26, 2010, the entire contents of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference in this application.
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