Digital jukebox device with improved user interfaces, and associated methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9521375-B2
Application number	US-92946611-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2011
Priority date	Jan 26, 2010
Publication date	Dec 13, 2016
Grant date	Dec 13, 2016

Abstract

Certain exemplary embodiments relate to entertainment systems that interact with users to provide access to media appropriate to and/or customized for a particular user using the entertainment system, the location at which the entertainment system is being accessed, and/or a predefined event. For example, in certain exemplary embodiments, an entertainment system in a location is configured to provide jukebox-related and entertainment system mediated services that are accessible from within and from the outside of the location, and provide (1) attract or flight media operations, (2) browsing services, and/or (3) search screens appropriate to and/or customized for a particular user using the entertainment system, the location at which the entertainment system is being accessed, and/or a predefined event. Such screens may be provided with a three-dimensional look-and-feel in certain exemplary embodiments.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A jukebox device, comprising: 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, wherein 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 indicated using the at least one first user interface element, if any, 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, at least one fourth user interface element configured to enable the user to navigate among the items to be presented to the user for possible selection, the at least one fourth user interface element being adaptable based on the selected ordering mode, 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, wherein the at least one first user interface element, the at least one second user interface element, the at least one third user interface element, and the at least one fourth user interface element are all displayable on the display at the same time.

2. The jukebox device of claim 1 , wherein the collections include predefined genres and/or musical themes.

3. The jukebox device of claim 2 , wherein the collections further include playlists.

4. The jukebox device of claim 1 , wherein the ordering modes include an alphabetical order mode, a popularity-based order mode, and a chronological or date order mode.

5. The jukebox device of claim 4 , wherein each item to be presented to the user for possible selection is assigned a popularity value, the popularity-based order mode ordering the items to be presented to the user for possible selection based on the assigned popularity values.

6. The jukebox device of claim 5 , wherein the popularity values are 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, and/or item popularity on an industry chart.

7. The jukebox device of claim 5 , wherein the popularity values are assigned based on item popularity at one or more social networking sites.

8. The jukebox device of claim 4 , wherein:
the at least one fourth user interface element including letters when the alphabetical order mode is selected, numbers or lines corresponding to popularity values when the popularity-based order mode is selected, and a date or calendar display when the chronological or date order mode is selected.

9. The jukebox device of claim 4 , wherein the chronological or date order mode is disabled when the artist grouping mode is selected.

10. The jukebox device of claim 1 , wherein the display area includes a partial subset of the items to be presented to the user for possible selection, the partial subset being determined based on a selection made with respect to the at least one fourth user interface element.

11. The jukebox device of claim 1 , wherein:
a partial subset of items are displayable in the display area in a fan-like arrangement across a general center area of the display,
the 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.

12. The jukebox device of claim 1 , wherein:
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.

13. The jukebox device of claim 1 , wherein a user selection of a displayed song item causes a popup screen to be displayed, the popup screen enabling the user to confirm that the selected song is to be played back.

14. The jukebox device of claim 13 , wherein the display of the popup screen is accompanied by the blurring, fading, and/or reduction to grayscale of user interface elements behind the popup screen.

15. A method of making a jukebox device, the method comprising:
providing a display;
providing a non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to store a plurality of instances of media available for playback on or via the jukebox device; and
providing 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, wherein 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 indicated using the at least one first user interface element, if any, 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,
at least one fourth user interface element configured to enable the user to navigate among 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,

wherein the at least one first user interface element, the at least one second user interface element, the at least one third user interface element, and the at least one fourth user interface element are all displayable on the display at the same time.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the collections include predefined genres and/or musical themes.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the collections further include playlists.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the ordering modes include an alphabetical order mode, a popularity-based order mode, and a chronological or date order mode.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein each item to be presented to the user for possible selection is assigned a popularity value, the popularity-based order mode ordering the items to be presented to the user for pos

Assignees

• Beaumier Francois
• Desmarais Remi
• Hebert Sebastien
• Gratton Loic
• Khenfir Mounir
• Rivera Ed
• Tooker Michael
• Pompidor Christian
• Touchtunes Music Corp

Inventors

• Beaumier Francois
• Desmarais Remi
• Hebert Sebastien
• Gratton Loic
• Khenfir Mounir
• Rivera Ed
• Tooker Michael
• Pompidor Christian

Classifications

• G07F9/002

  Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines · CPC title

• G06Q10/40

  Business processes related to social networking or social networking services · CPC title

• H05B47/155

  Coordinated control of two or more light sources · CPC title

• G06Q30/02

  Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising · CPC title

• H04N21/239

  Interfacing the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. prioritizing client {content} requests (hybrid fiber coaxial [HFC] networks for upstream channel allocation for video distribution H04L12/2801; flow control in data networks H04L47/10; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60) · CPC title