Music distribution systems

Abstract

Music is blanket transmitted (for example, via satellite downlink transmission) to each customer's user station where selected music files are recorded. Customers preselect from a list of available music in advance using an interactive screen selector, and pay only for music that they choose to playback for their enjoyment. An antipiracy “ID tag” is woven into the recorded music so that any illegal copies therefrom may be traced to the purchase transaction. Music is transmitted on a fixed schedule or through an active scheduling process that monitors music requests from all or a subset of satellite receivers and adjust scheduling according to demand for various CD's. Receivers store selections that are likely to be preferred by a specific customer. In those instances where weather conditions, motion of atmospheric layers or dish obstructions result in data loss, the system downloads the next transmission of the requested CD and uses both transmissions to produce a “good copy”. In conjunction with the blanket transmission of more popular music, an automated CD manufacturing facility may be provided to manufacture CD's that are not frequently requested and distribute them by ground transportation.

1 . A system for distributing music to customer households, comprising: 
 a data transmission system blanket transmitting a plurality of music selections to customer households in digital form;    a user station at each of a plurality of customer households, the user station including;    means permitting the customer household to preselect desired transmitted music selections for recording;    a receiver and associated high capacity storage medium for recording preselected music selections in digital form;    an audio output for outputting audio signals from the storage medium to a playback device so that the customer household may playback those recorded music selections it wishes to enjoy;    a central controller system having a database for storing therein an address corresponding to each customer household;    a communications link between each customer household and the central controller system to verify to the controller system when a preselected music selection has been made available for playback; and    a billing system associated with the central controller system to bill customer households for music selections that are made available for playback.    
     
     
         2 . (canceled)  
     
     
         3 . A system for distributing music to customer households comprising: a data transmission system blanket transmitting a plurality of music selections to 
 customer households in digital form;    a user station at each of a plurality of customer households, the user station including;    means for said customer household preselection of desired transmitted music selections for recording;    means for informing said customer household that a music selection is available for purchase from said system for distributing music when said music selection is about to be made at a peer to peer music sharing system used by said customer household;    means for ordering said music selection from said peer-to-peer music sharing system for distribution to said customer household by said system for distributing music;    a receiver and associated high capacity storage medium for recording preselected music selections in digital form;    an audio output for outputting audio signals from the storage medium to a playback device so that the customer household may playback those recorded music selections it wishes to enjoy;    a central controller system having a database for storing therein an address corresponding to each customer household;    a communications link between each customer household and the central controller system to verify to the controller system when a preselected music selection has been made available for playback; and    a billing system associated with the central controller system comprising:    means for billing customer households for music selections that are made available for playback; and    means for payment to an operator of said peer-to-peer music sharing system for advertising and making music available for purchase.    
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3  for distributing music wherein said means for ordering comprises: 
 means for communication of an order for said music selection to said central controller;    means for transferring copies of records of said order to a transmission scheduler;    means for communication of schedules from said transmission scheduler to a satellite uplink facility for transmission of said order;    means for transmitting said order to said customer household.    
     
     
         5 . The order communication means of  claim 4  for distributing music wherein said communication means occurs over phone modem.  
     
     
         6 . The order communication means of  claim 4  for distributing music wherein said communication means occurs over cable modem.  
     
     
         7 . The order communication means of  claim 4  for distributing music wherein said communication means occurs over an internet connection.  
     
     
         8 . The transmission means of  claim 4  for distributing music wherein said transmission means occurs over the KU satellite band.  
     
     
         9 . The transmission means of  claim 4  for distributing music wherein said transmission means occurs over frequencies outside of the KU satellite band.  
     
     
         10 . The transmission means of  claim 4  for distributing music wherein said transmission means comprises a real time, music playback transmission speed.  
     
     
         11 . The transmission means of  claim 4  for distributing music wherein said transmission means comprises a compressed transmission speed.  
     
     
         12 . The compressed transmission speed of  claim 11  wherein said compressed transmission speed has a compression ratio of at least 60 to 1.  
     
     
         13 . The order communication means of  claim 7  wherein a client of said communication means is a home personal computer  
     
     
         14 . The order communication means of  claim 7  wherein a client of said communication means is a cell phone.  
     
     
         15 . The order communication means of  claim 7  wherein a client of said communication means is a Personal Data Assistant wireless device.  
     
     
         16 . The order communication means of  claim 14  wherein a wireless application protocol is used.  
     
     
         17 . The order communication means of any of  claim 15  wherein a wireless application protocol is used.  
     
     
         18 . In a system for distributing music to customer households, said system comprising: 
 means for said system preselection of desired transmitted music selections for recording.