US 6182128

US patent 6182128, titled "Real-time music distribution systems," was filed on March 5, 1998, and issued on January 30, 2001. [cite: The full patent text] The current assignee is Touchmusic Entertainment LLC, which was also the original assignee. [cite: The full patent text] The inventors are Anand Kelkar and Loren C. Johnson. [cite: The full patent text]

Abstract:
The patent describes a music distribution system comprising multiple regional networks, each with users connected to a distribution center. Each distribution center has a library of music titles. Users send requests for music tracks via telephone or cable networks. Upon receiving a request, the distribution center retrieves the file from its regional library and transmits it to the user via existing cable service. The user's electronic equipment, like a television or stereo, provides an audio/visual output of the track. If a requested file is not in the regional library, the request is routed to a central control center, which searches other regional libraries and facilitates transmission to the user. [cite: The full patent text]

Plain-language overview of independent claims:

• Claim 1 (System for distributing digital audio files): This claim describes a system designed to deliver digital audio files in near real-time to users across various satellite or cable TV networks. The system includes multiple private distribution centers. Each center features a network interface for connecting to a TV network, a library storing digital audio files, and a library interface linked to this library. A processor within each center is responsible for showing a menu of audio files to a user, receiving user requests (including the user's address and desired files), retrieving these files from its library, and transmitting them sequentially in real-time to the user via the network. Additionally, the processor records the requested files and user addresses in a database. A central controller connects to the network interface of each distribution center to facilitate routing digital audio data files among these centers. [cite: The full patent text]

• Claim 2 (System for distributing data files in independent networks): This claim outlines a system for distributing data files to users connected within several independent networks. It features multiple distribution centers, each with a network interface for a single network, a library of data files, a library interface, and a processor. The processor receives user requests (with file and user address information) via the network interface. It then determines which requested files are available locally and retrieves them. For unavailable files, it sends an import request to a central controller and receives those files through the network interface. The processor then transmits all requested data files to the user via the network and records information about the request and user address. A central controller is directly connected to each distribution center's network interface to receive import requests, search other distribution centers' libraries for the requested files, and instruct the appropriate distribution center to transmit the located files to the requesting center. [cite: The full patent text]

• Claim 12 (Method for distributing music): This claim describes a method for distributing music using the system detailed in Claim 2. The method involves a user system generating a request with information about a desired data file and the user's address. This request is received and processed at a network interface. The requested data file is then retrieved from the library, and subsequently transmitted to the user system. [cite: The full patent text]

CAFC 2026 Dockets:
Based on the available search results for "CAFC 2026 dockets US6182128", there is no explicit mention of US patent 6182128 in the May or June 2026 scheduled cases for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The Google Patents record for US6182128 does indicate ongoing litigation including PTAB cases (IPR2025-00700, IPR2026-00047) and US cases filed in Illinois Northern District Court and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (25-1733, 25-1734, 25-1960), but these specific CAFC case numbers are from 2025, not new filings or scheduled arguments in 2026 according to the provided docket summaries. [cite: The full patent text]