Patent ID: 7577717

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for selecting and playing audio and/or video tracks on a jukebox apparatus situated at a public place, the jukebox apparatus being adapted to register requests for tracks to be played and to store the requests while other requested tracks are played, the jukebox apparatus having a public display visible at the public place, the method comprising: establishing a communication channel between the jukebox apparatus and a mobile telephone; constructing a request message with alphanumeric characters on the mobile telephone, the request message comprising: an identification code for a track that is being requested to be played on the jukebox apparatus, and a dedication word to be displayed on the public display of the jukebox apparatus in association with playing of the requested track; transmitting the request message from the mobile telephone to the jukebox apparatus over the communication channel, the request message being transmitted as a Short Message Service (SMS) text request message; receiving and automatically scanning the SMS text request message at the jukebox apparatus to identify the identification code for the requested track and the dedication word; automatically authenticating and processing the identification code to provide data instructions to register the request for the track in the jukebox apparatus; constructing a confirmation message with alphanumeric characters on the jukebox apparatus to confirm that the request has been registered; transmitting the confirmation message from the jukebox apparatus to the mobile telephone over the communication channel as an SMS text confirmation message; playing the requested track in the public place using the jukebox apparatus; and displaying the dedication word on the public display of the jukebox apparatus in association with the playing of the requested track; wherein prior to constructing and transmitting the request message: constructing a search message with alphanumeric characters on the mobile telephone, the search message comprising a search criterion regarding tracks available on the jukebox apparatus; transmitting the search message from the mobile telephone to the jukebox apparatus over the communication channel, the search message being transmitted as an SMS text search message; receiving and automatically scanning the SMS text search message at the jukebox apparatus to identify the search criterion; searching for a track available on the jukebox apparatus that meets the search criterion; constructing a search response message with alphanumeric characters on the jukebox apparatus, the search response message comprising a name and an identification code of the track meeting the search criterion; and transmitting the search response message from the jukebox apparatus to the mobile telephone over the communication channel, the search response message being transmitted as an SMS text search response message.