MXPA00002013A - Music browser - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for make pieces of music available to a user, using an installation consisting of a gateway station (1) and a data archive (2) which comprises a user environment which is fitted with a track management application and connected to the gateway station (1) and a server (3). For each read-in piece of music a reference file is entered at the level of the gateway station (1). The read-in pieces of music are processed and the reference files and corresponding media files are transferred to the data archive (2). The content of the reference files is deposited in the fields of the data archive (2) and by means of the track management application it is determined which media files and which corresponding fields of the data archive are to be made available in the server (3) and transferred. A media file deposited in the server (3) and the corresponding fields of the data archive (2) are made available on request at the level of an output unit (4) and the corresponding piece of music is played at the level of said output unit (4).

Description

MUSIC FINDER The invention relates to a method and music search system. Music items are currently made available to the user / customer mostly in the form of compact discs or other sound carriers. In view of the considerable amount of sound carriers that are currently available, distributors have a problem to offer and attractively presenting to a user / client a sufficiently large selection of music articles. This is necessary, however, to stay in the competition. For the user / client there is the problem that it is extremely difficult to obtain an overview of the sound carriers available in the market and also of interest within a reasonable period of time, since it is very time consuming to verify each and every one of the bearers of sound individually. In addition to this, if the user / client wants a hearing test of the music items contained in the sound bearer, it is usually required to make use of a local player available in some commercial premises especially for this purp The object of the invention is to provide a music search method with which, without tedious preparation, it allows the selected musical titles to be reproduced in a local output unit and, more particularly, allows the distributors to store only a limited number of sound carriers. and at the same time, however, remain competitive. This object is achieved according to the invention by a music search method by means of a system that includes, as a minimum, at least one input player station and one data file comprising a track management application environment and at least one import interface with the input player station and at least one export interface that connects at least one server, which involves the steps of: a) entering a reference file containing specific data to each musical item in the input player station; b) upload the musical items; c) process music items loaded, format as necessary for later handling and store each music item in a media file assignable to each reference file; d) import reference files and media files via the import interface to the data file; e) archive the contents of the reference files in the data file fields; f) define by means of the track management application which corresponding media files and archived data fields will be available on the server; g) export the selected media files and the corresponding archived data fields via the export interface to the server; h) attending a local output unit on request with a media file stored on the server and the corresponding archived data fields; i) play the music items maintained in the media file serviced in the local output unit by means of user software. The crux of the invention thus consists in allowing a user to make use of the method, search through a plurality of music articles which, after having been exported from the data file to the server, are presented to him in the server. The selected tracks are reproduced in a local output unit by means of a convenient software without the need for other inputs, ie no further effort, thus presenting the user - after having simply stipulated certain selection criteria in the unit output, with the corresponding available tracks on the server without requiring time consuming entries for this. Using a system that makes use of the method, a distributor can now come out with the necessary service items so far, providing reproduction stations for presented sound carriers, whose necessary number of availability can be considerably reduced or adapted well to the real market requirements since the tracks selected by the client in the output unit can form the basic statistics for the inventory convenient. By using the method, important information regarding the corresponding track can now be available as it is stored in the archived data fields and indicating, for example, the EAN code, the order number, the tag code, the name of the artist, the title of each track, the title of the compact disc, and so on. The data file should have sufficient storage capacity so that tracks that are to be published in the future can also be included. Particularly convenient for this purpose is the digital media management system (DMMS) database developed by the present applicant whose storage capacity corresponds to approximately 200,000 music compact discs. The system operator chooses between music items stored in the data file with respect to those that will be made available to the user through the server.

The number of tracks available to the user, of course, is restricted by the storage capacity of the server. Any sequence in the data of the method that differs from what was listed above, of course, also applies when it is useful. It is also important that the user now has a user software available in the local output unit which is convenient for processing the media files as well as the archived data fields so that the user is at least able to search for through the musical articles. An additional media file can be assigned to a reference file that contains at least parts of a music video (claim 2). This is important since music videos nowadays have become an almost separate musical vehicle in their own right and are becoming increasingly popular essentially among younger users. These media files are managed in the same way as media files containing only music, except that an audiovisual display is made available in the output unit for the user and it is also necessary that software that produces the visualization in the output unit. Conveniently, a text file is assigned to at least one reference file, which contains information relating to the musical articles linked to this reference file (claim 3). This text file may contain background information about the artist, or the label or other additional information of interest to the user such as, for example, indications of concert events to come. In addition to this one can assign a media file so that at least one reference file containing animations (claim 4) to add entertainment to the user. Media files and text files, of course, can also be subsequently incorporated into the archived data, that is to say as soon as the reference files have been transferred to the data file and its content saved in the archived data fields. These files are then assigned to the specific archived data fields and not to the reference files. Conveniently the media files can be stored in the compacted data file at least in part (claim 5). In order to make all the tracks contained in a sound bearer available to the user, the musical articles contained in the sound bearer, preferably a compact disc, can be introduced into the input player station (claim 6). To link all the media files belonging to a sound bearer, these can be referenced in a text file (claim 7). For the complete identification of each media file, the original sound bearer number and a track number are assigned (claim 8). To ensure that media files are processed only by authorized user software, they are conveniently provided with an authorization code (claim 9). To provide the user with other optical impressions, graphic details can be scanned with laser in the input player station and assigned to a reference file (claim 10). These details can be, for example, the cover page of the booklet associated with the compact disc. Graphic details can also be assigned to archived data fields. Conveniently the text and / or the video data assigned to a music article can be displayed in the local output unit (claim 11), whereby, of course, the text and / or video data not linked to Musical items requested, such as advertisements, for example, may also be displayed. By means of adaptive tempers and a corresponding administration surface a graphic display can be generated for each media file containing a music article on the server and can be made available to the user (claim 12). To make all files stored on the server quickly available to the user, a search index is conveniently generated or modified in the server when files assigned to a music article are imported (claim 13). Conveniently the server is monitored by means of a load and / or availability monitor (claim 14). In order for a user to have the opportunity to contact other users of the system, the output unit can be connected to a chat server (claim 15). To allow music articles and files linked to them to be available to the user also for a longer period, the files assigned to a music item can be stored locally in the output unit (claim 16), being it is also conceivable, of course, for the user to copy particular music items in his output unit and any downstream processing article such as a compact disc burner, thereby allowing the user to produce compact music discs for example. .To protect the system from unauthorized use, a code can be defined for each user (claim 17). The files can be made available to the user online (claim 18), preferably through a network (claim 19) which, of course, can also be the Internet. According to a specific embodiment of the method according to the invention, the files are made available to the user in a data carrier, preferably a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) (claim 20), this being the offline version of the method. A hybrid version is also possible in which the files are made available to the user partially via the Internet and partially in a data carrier, preferably a DVD (claim 21), it being convenient then to store high content files, namely the files of media, in the data carrier while smaller files for quick transfer such as text files are made available via the network. To facilitate the use of the output unit by the user, a search mask is included in the visual display (claim 22). An event page can be included in the visual display based on the search mask entry (claim 23).

According to another specific embodiment, music articles selected by means of a random generator from those stored in the server can be played in the output unit (claim 24) which can be, for example, a medley of an artist specific or also a selection of the latest hits. An exemplary embodiment according to the invention will be explained with reference to the drawing in which: The only Figure is a simplified schematic representation of the structure of the system according to the invention. Combined in the drawing are the three different versions of the system, namely the online, the hybrid and the offline version. In principle, the system consists of an input player station 1, a data file 2, a server 3 and an output unit 4. The input player station 1 and the data file 2 are connected to each other via data links, the same as the data file 2 and server 2, as well as server 3 and output unit 4, except that in the offline version there are no data links between server 3 and output unit 4. In this case, the data transfer the output reproduction station 4 is made by means of a data carrier, for example a DVD which is on the server 2, is written with data / files as necessary to make it available to the user / consumer in the unit. exit 4, which, of course, must be provided with the corresponding reader for this data carrier. In making use of the hybrid version also, in which the data need to be partially available in a data carrier and partly via a network, the output unit 4 needs to have a corresponding reader. The input breeding station 1 may consist of several discrete stations and comprises at least one computer system in which an editing system is installed to introduce reference files. Through reference files, files linked to specific music items can be identified. Reference files also list for example, EA code, order number, tag code, artist name, title of each track, CD title, and so on. The input player station may also include at least one browser to allow the disc title page of the compact disc to be entered by scanning. The computer system is equipped with an automatic playback device by means of which music items recorded on a sound bearer can be read into the system. By means of an application program the articles read in the system are processed, for example, automatically producing for example 30-second hooks of all the music articles recorded on the compact disc.

Music items read on the system are also formatted with data as necessary for the additional features of the method and each is stored in a media file assignable to each reference file. The files generated in the input player station 1 are then copied to the data file 2. The contents of the reference files are saved in the archived data fields. The data file 2 can be for example an Oracle database, a master database DMMS (Digital Media Management System). The user environment of the data file 2 is equipped with a track management application that allows convenient handling of individual files assigned to music articles. The data file 2 has an export interface via which the music items selected by means of the track management application, ie the media files and the corresponding archived data fields, can be exported to the server 3. Depending on of the selected version, server 2 differs in design. If it functions as an Internet server or an online server it comprises a database server and a media file server in which the media files are preferably stored compacted. Stored in the database server are the archived data fields, each assignable to the media files. The hybrid version comprises only one server in which the archived data files are stored, the media files being stored in a data carrier such as a DVD. In the offline version of the method, data carriers, such as a DVD, are played on the server. The content of the data carrier is adapted to the client conveniently to the specific taste of the user, for example, only articles of jazz music or classical music. Of course, in the other versions also, a pre-selection can be made with respect to the articles that are made available by the server 3. Advantageously, the media files maintained in the data carrier are encoded, being, for example, formatted by MPEG and encoded through the multimedia protection system (MMP) to ensure that only authorized users have access to media files. For this purpose the user needs an authorized software to use the output unit, a pirated copy of the data carrier is not readable in other output units. In the hybrid version the data carrier contains media files only. The required archived data fields are exported to the output unit 4 via a network. This allows quick access to high volume storage media files as well as high quality music search engine. In the offline version, both the media files and the corresponding archived data fields are kept on the DVD. However, both in the offline version and in the hybrid version the files maintained in the data carrier need to be updated continuously. The online version can also be configured as a sound carrier kiosk system with which the user is able to make direct orders of selected CDs that are sent to him, for example. Payment can be made, for example, by entering a credit card number. Advantageously, other media files containing music videos or other graphical display data can be assigned to a certain reference file on the input player station. A media file containing a music video is handled much like a media file that simply contains a music item, that is, it is saved in the data file, copied to the server, exported to the output unit where it is played by means of convenient software. furtherOther text files can be assigned to a reference file on the input player station that can also be saved in the data file and the server and then exported to the output unit where it is available to the user. These text files may contain, for example, information with reference to the artist (s), indications of additional music articles or concert events, and so on. Text files and media files can also be directly assigned specific archived data fields.

Claims (29)

1. A music search method by means of a system that includes, as a minimum, at least one input player station (1) and one data file (2) comprising a track management application environment and at least one import interface with the input breeding station (1) and at least one export interface connecting at least one server (3), which involves the steps: a) entering a reference file containing specific data into the input breeding station (1) of each music item; b) upload music articles; c) process loaded music items, format them as necessary for subsequent and previous handling, and store each music item in a media file assignable to each reference file; d) import reference files and media files via the import interface into the data file (2); e) archive the contents of the reference files in the data file fields (2); f) define by means of the track management application which media files and the corresponding archived data fields are to be made available on the server (3); g) export the selected media files and the corresponding archived data fields via the export interface to the server (3); h) serving a local output unit (4) on request with a media file stored on the server (3) and the corresponding archived data fields; i) play the music items stored in the media file served in the local output unit (4) by means of user software.

The method as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that another media file is assigned to at least one reference file that contains at least parts of a music video.

The method as set forth in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the text file is assigned to at least one reference file, which contains information relating to the music articles linked to the reference file.

The method as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a media file is assigned to at least one reference file containing animations.

The method as set forth in any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the media file is stored in the compacted data file at least in part.

The method as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the music articles maintained in a sound carrier, preferably a compact disc, are input to the input breeding station (1).

The method as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that all media files belonging to a sound bearer are referenced in a text file.

The method as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the original sound bearer number and a track number are assigned to each media file.

The method as set forth in any of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the media files are provided with an authorization code.

The method as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the graphs are scanned in the input breeding station (1) and assigned to a reference file.

The method as set forth in any of claims 2 to 10, characterized in that the text and / or the video data assigned to a music article are displayed in the local output unit (4).

The method as set forth in any of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that by means of adaptive tempers and a corresponding administration surface a graphic display is generated for each media file containing a music article in the server (3) and made available to the user.

13. The method as presented in any of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that a search index is generated or modified in the server (3) when files assigned to a music article are imported.

The method as set forth in any of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the server (3) is monitored by means of a load and / or availability monitor.

The method as set forth in any of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the output unit (4) is connected to a chat server (3).

16. The method as set forth in any of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the files assigned to a music article are stored locally in the output unit (4).

17. The method as set forth in any of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that a code is defined for each user.

18. The method as set forth in any of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that the files are made available to the user online.

19. The method as set forth in claim 18, characterized in that the files are made available to the user via networks.

The method as set forth in any of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that the files are made available to the user in a data carrier, preferably a DVD.

The method as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that the files are made available to the user partially in line and partially in a data carrier, preferably a DVD.

22. The method as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 21, characterized in that a search mask is included in the visual display of the output unit.

The method as set forth in claim 22, characterized in that an event page is included in the display of the output unit (4) based on the input of the search mask.

24. The method as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 23, characterized in that the music items selected by means of a random generator from those stored in the server (3) are reproduced in the output unit (4).

25. A system for searching music by a method as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 24 including at least one at least one inbound player station (1), one data file (2) comprising one environment of track management application and at least one import interface with the input player station (1) and at least one export interface connecting at least one server (3) and one output unit (4).

26. The system as presented in the claim 25, characterized in that the server (3) is connected in line with the output unit (4).

The system as set forth in claim 25 or 26, characterized in that the server (3) is provided with software to generate a graphic display for each music item.

28. The system as set forth in any of claims 25 to 27, characterized in that the server (3) has a load and / or availability monitor.

29. The system as set forth in any of claims 25 to 28, characterized in that the output unit (4) has a DVD machine.