PROVISION OF PRE-RECORDED ENTERTAINMENT
This invention relates to the provision of pre-recorded entertainment, particularly, though not exclusively, to the provision of audio entertainment.
In recent years, the audio and subsequently audio visual entertainment industries have been severely affected by the spread of techniques and equipment enabling the production of high quality copies of audio and audio visual works. Whereas in the past the copying of audio and audio visual works was generally fairly expensive to carry out and often associated with a degradation in quality, following the introduction of digital recording and digital copying technology, the cost of making copies has plummeted while the quality of the copies is, because they are digital, identical to the quality of the original.
The fortunes of particularly the audio recording industry have been, it is alleged, severely adversely affected by the recent rise of so-called peer-to-peer file- sharing networks mediated via the Internet. Substantial efforts are being directed to build up anti-copying technology and to regulate the way in which copying can be carried out, but it is unclear whether this will lead to any solution satisfactory both to the producers of recorded music and the consumers.
Up until now, the emphasis in developments in this area has been on finding ways to secure an income stream from those who make copies, '.e. those who without licence make their own copy of a copyright work, e.g. a musical work or feature film, on to an appropriate medium which may then be used by the copyist to listen to or view the work as many times as they wish and when they wish. This clearly deprives the originator of the chance to make a return by selling the copyist a (legitimate) reproduction of the work. The present invention proposes a wholly different arrangement where the production and use of audio and audio visual recordings is essentially an adjunct to the provision of what can be thought of as ondemand audio and audio visual - 2 entertainment.
The present invention is based on the underlying concept of providing in a host computer system the mechanism whereby individual users can set up their own personalized library of material and can select from it, as and when desired, for performance via their own local computer-based system.
Accordingly, broadly in accordance with the present invention, there is provided an audio or audio visual entertainment provision system including a host computer system, a consumer computer system, and software programmed in both systems enabling an audio or audio visual stream to be provided by the host computer system to the consumer computer system and there reproduced in real time, the system being characterized by payment software enabling a payment made by the consumer to be credited to a specific consumer's account in the host consumer system, and monitoring software which determines, in dependence on the amount of credit in the account, the quantity of remaining performance time available to a specific identified consumer computer system.
Operating in this way, the consumer who wishes to listen to music or watch and listen to an audio visual performance can do so effectively on demand, the choice of material having been previously set up by that consumer. For example, the consumer may, by direct interaction between the consumer computer system and the host computer system, cause the host computer system to set up a virtual "jukebox" of material which the consumer selects, e.g. from catalogues held by the host computer system and which can be accessed by that host computer system in any appropriate or convenient fashion. No copy of the audio or audio visual work is made by the consumer's computer system, but the host computer system, as it were, holds the material in readiness. - 3
When the consumer wishes to listen or view the items concerned, they can connect their computer system to the host computer and enable the streaming of data from the host computer system to the customer computer system, these to play the audio or audio-visual material chosen at the consumer's location.
The software in the two computer systems is arranged to monitor the time taken up by such play, and accordingly to monitor and record the amount of use of the system made by the consumer.
A major advantage of the system defined above is that the consumer pays for the audio or audio visual entertainment directly in proportion to the amount of entertainment provided. This is most conveniently achieved by providing that the software in both host and customer computer systems is configured to manage the transactions between the system promoters who control the host computer system and the consumer who controls his own system. While there are numerous ways of achieving this, a major advantage of the system proposed in accordance with this invention is that it is compatible with payment being effected by the consumer in cash using widely distributed automatic payment transaction systems.
In one particular way of putting this into effect, payment cards may be made freely available at traditional outlets such as retail music stores, video rental operations etc. which contain a suitable unique identifier, for example a 12-digit code, which is stored in a magnetic stripe on the card and which can be accessed, for example, by scratching off an opaque layer from part of the card.
Such a card may be enabled by the consumer who has decided to participate in the system by logging into the host computer and providing it with the unique identification from the card. At this stage, this is simply stored in the host computer, but associated with the personal details of the individual subscriber which have been previously learned by the host computer via an initial set-up session following loading on to the consumer computer of software to operate - 4 the system. Such software can, it will be appreciated, be provided free of charge, either on a free CD-ROM or downloadable via the internet.
Once the card details have been advised to the host computer, the card may be used at the retail outlet from which it was obtained (or, indeed, any other retail outlet which is a subscriber to the system) to provide "credits" in the host computer which can be drawn down by the customer. This is easily achieved in that the retail establishment takes money, for example cash, from the consumer, swipes the consumer's card through an electronic point of sale terminal, enters the amount tendered, and the payment system then transfers the sum tendered to the retailer by the customer from the retailer's account to the account of the operator of the host computer. The management software running the host computer system will now be able to "credit" the individual consumer account with the relevant sum and this translates easily into an appropriate amount of time for the streaming of audio or audio visual material to the consumer's specific computer system.
A major advantage of the system is accordingly to be seen in its accessibility by those who do not have bank accounts, or credit or charge cards. A major consumer group of that type is those under 18, who are additionally a major consumer group for listening to pre-recorded music and/or viewing audio visual presentations. The present invention accordingly provides a way in which this consumer group may have its legitimate desires easily met without the additional complexities of having to run a bank account or have a charge or credit card.
It should be noted that for those who are possessed of credit or charge cards, the host computer system may be equipped with normal online payment software widely developed for use in e-commerce which may enable those users to top up their amount of usage time by direct payment to the owners of - 5 the host computer system using that standard software.
The software in the host computer system is conveniently one which operates on a website basis with the customer having to go through a signin and validation procedure in order to interact with the host computer system appropriately. As indicated above, the software needed in the consumer's computer system may be provided free, e.g. on a promotional CD or the like available in music stores and other outlets, or, of course, if it is not too substantial to make it inconvenient, it can simply be downloaded by an intending subscriber from a website operated by the owners of the host computer system.
In customary fashion, the software should support an appropriately secure sign- in system using a password of the customer's choice and which could be changed as desired by the customer to maintain security.
The detailed fashion in which the host computer interacts with the consumer's computer and with the consumer himself or herself can vary, but, by way of illustration, a typical practical approach is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In these drawings, one specific way of putting the system in accordance with the present invention into effect is illustrated. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a flow chart showing the possible interactions between a customer and the host computer, Figure 2 is a website flow chart showing a possible branch structure for operating the website as seen by the consumer, and Figure 3 is a diagram demonstrating possible options open to the user of the system while listening to any particular piece of recorded material. - 6
Referring first to Figure 1, the course of interactions between a consumer and the host is set out in diagrammatic form.
The new user who wishes to use the system starts by downloading appropriate software from the website by going to the website indicating their "new user" status and their wish to create an account. Alternatively the software can be provided for them which will, once inserted into the user's computer, automatically link up with the host computer site and provide the customary account creation dialogue. This will include having the intending user read the terms and conditions of use and confirm that they agree to them and provide the host computer with a user name, e-mail address and password.
The host computer may then generate a secure unique identification code, for example an 8-digit personal identification number, which can then be e-mailed to the intending user.
The next requirement is for the user to pay some money. If the user does not have a bank account, credit or charge card, this can be easily achieved by having the user go to a retail establishment, for example a newsagent, pick up a system card, and then have that system card enabled, e.g. via a conventional - call centre. The card may have a toll-free number printed on it and a (possibly automated) call centre operator will be able to link together the unique PIN which the user had e-mailed to him or her and the, e.g., 1 2-digit number on the card, for example exposed by removing a temporary opaque layer thereon.
Once so enabled, the card may be swiped by the retailer against a payment of however much the user wishes to make. The payment system will then identify that a payment has been made to the host computer system and indicate by how much.
When the user now wishes to listen to music, for example, they go to the site, - 7 log on using their unique username and password, and they will find that there is a suitable site menu, for example identified as managing their account, which will display how much "credit" they now have with the system. It will also enable, e.g., password updating or other details to be updated.
By an appropriate menu tree, for example as shown in Figure 2, the user can then build up their own personalized "jukebox" or "jukeboxes" of the particular music that they wish to listen to. All of this can be done using standard programming technology in the host website.
Once the user has decided that he or she actually wants to listen to something, they can then do so and the material is streamed to their computer using conventional streaming technology and reproduced by their computer's sound system which may, of course, feed into a full-scale audio reproduction system if that is what the consumer wants. The amount of usage is monitored by the software in the host computer system and the amount of "credit" gradually diminishes.
Figure 3 shows that while the user is listening, there are a number of onscreen options presented to the user. These enable the user while listening to one particular piece of music, e.g. to manage their account, set up a new jukebox, or even decide that they wish to purchase an original recording, either of what they are listening to at the time, or of something else suitably selected. In either case, the arrangements may be such that the purchase is either downloaded and burnt on to a recordable compact disc in the user's computer, or it may be supplied as a physical CD or other appropriate data carrier from a retail outlet and delivered in customary fashion, e.g. through the postal service. In either case, the software may be arranged to credit the supplier of the recording appropriately and to diminish the outstanding credit of the customer. - 8
As can be seen by studying Figure 3, the customer can, while listening to the particular piece of music concerned, find out more about the artist, the music, the type of music, etc., thus materially enriching the listening experience.
Furthermore, housekeeping such as updating or editing the material previously selected, adjusting playlists or other interactive dialogue with the host computer may be carried out.
It will be specifically noted that, by appropriate programming in the host computer, the consumer may be exposed to a variety of options of other music which may be related to that they have selected, but of which they were previously unaware. For example, with appropriate monitoring software, the host computer can "learn" the individual customer's preferences and be programmed to offer to let the user hear a new artist(s) or performer(s), by creating or modifying playlists, even, if desired, taking into account direct consumer input, e.g. the answer to a question posed on-screen as to the mood of the consumer at the time. The software may even be arranged to "morph" the consumer's mood along a spectrum from sad to happy. The host site may also be used as an advertising or sampling medium, again specifically targeting the advertising message to the likes of the particular consumer. This ability to target the consumer is easily and automatically achieved using the system of the present invention.
A further feature which the host computer may provide is the generation of "playlists". These may be personalised and reflect a user's preference, or may reflect the recorded output of a particular artist. A user playlist (and an associated credit amount to enable it to be listened to) may be sent via the host computer to another user if desired or permitted by the first user. The host computer may include suitable fuzzy logic advanced export system software to analyse user preferences and feed them back into a database from which a - 9 - palette of targeted material may be displayed to the user.
It will be obvious to those skilled in the art of designing and operating websites that numerous variations may be made from the specific model reflected in Figures 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings. < -