USER-PERSONALIZED MEDIA SAMPLING, RECOMMENDATION AND PURCHASING SYSTEM USING REAL-TIME INVENTORY DATABASE

1 . A media sampling system comprising:

a plurality of user sampling stations distributed at various locations within a retail site;

a media content storage unit coupled to the plurality of user sampling stations and storing media content and meta-data associated with the media content;

a first server configured to store data in the media content storage unit; and

a point-of-sale (POS) database for storing sales and inventory data for products being sold at the retail site, wherein

the first server is further configured to:

retrieve inventory data that is stored in the POS database,

use the retrieved inventory data to determine particular media content to be stored in the media content storage unit,

transmit to a second server a request for the particular media content,

receive from the second server the particular media content and meta-data associated with the particular media content, and

store the received media content and meta-data in the media content storage unit.

2 . The media sampling system of claim 1 , wherein the media content storage unit is located at the retail site.

3 . The media sampling system of claim 1 , wherein the media content storage unit is coupled to the plurality of user sampling stations through a server.

4 . The media sampling system of claim 1 , wherein the first server is further configured to:

obtain sales and/or inventory data pertaining to a particular product, wherein the sales and/or inventory data is stored in the POS database,

determine a rank value for the particular product according to the sales and/or inventory data, and

delete from the media content storage unit media content associated with the particular product if the determined rank value is at or below a predetermined rank threshold.

5 . The media sampling system of claim 4 , wherein the first server is further configured to:

determine whether meta-data and/or media content associated with the particular product is missing from the media content storage unit if the determined rank value is above the predetermined rank threshold, and

transmit a request for the missing meta-data and/or media content if the determined rank value is above the predetermined rank threshold.

6 . The media sampling system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of user sampling stations comprises:

a housing;

a processor housed in the housing;

a display screen coupled to the processor and the housing;

a bar code scanner coupled to the processor and the housing;

a headphone coupled to the housing for enabling a user of the device to listen to user selected audio content;

a connector socket, coupled to the processor, for receiving a plug connected to a cable, wherein

the user sampling station is configured to (a) receive all of its electrical power from the cable and (b) use the cable to transmit data to the first server.

7 . The media sampling system of claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured to transmit to the first server an identification code associated with the user sampling station upon receiving power from the cable.

8 . The media sampling system of claim 6 , wherein the connector socket is configured to mate with an RJ45 connector.

9 . The media sampling system of claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the device has been idle for at least a predetermined amount of time.

10 . The media sampling system of claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to transmit a request to the server in response to determining that the device has been idle for at least the predetermined amount of time.

11 . The media sampling system of claim 6 , wherein the housing is configured to be connected to a mounting bracket.

12 . The media sampling system of claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured to receive from the first server a resource locator identifying a server and identifying a resource, and is configured to transmit to the identified server a request for the identified resource in response to receiving the resource locator from the server.

13 . The media sampling system of claim 1 , wherein the first server is configured to use the retrieved inventory data to determine a product that is in the retails site's inventory and is further configured to determine whether the media content storage unit stores any media content associated with the product.

14 . The media sampling system of claim 1 , further comprising a POS server for retrieving data from and storing data in the POS database.

15 . A media sampling method, comprising:

distributing, at various locations within a retail site, a plurality of user sampling stations;

storing in a media content storage unit located at the retail site media content and meta-data associated with the media content;

storing in a point-of-sale (POS) database sales and inventory data for products being sold at the retail site;

retrieving inventory data from the POS database;

using the retrieved inventory data to determine particular media content to be stored in the media content storage unit;

transmitting a request for the particular media content;

receiving the particular media content and meta-data associated with the particular media content; and

storing the received media content and meta-data in the media content storage unit.

16 . The media sampling method of claim 15 , comprising coupling the plurality of user sampling stations to the media content storage unit through a server.

17 . The media sampling method of claim 15 , further comprising:

obtaining from the POS database sales and/or inventory data pertaining to a particular product;

determining a rank value for the particular product based, at least in part, on the sales and/or inventory data; and

deleting from the media content storage unit media content associated with the particular product if the determined rank value is at or below a predetermined rank threshold.

18 . The media sampling method of claim 17 , further comprising:

determining whether meta-data and/or media content associated with the particular product is missing from the media content storage unit if the determined rank value is above the predetermined rank threshold; and

transmitting a request for the missing meta-data and/or media content if the determined rank value is above the predetermined rank threshold.

19 . The media sampling method of claim 15 , wherein the step of using the retrieved inventory data to determine particular media content to be stored in the media content storage unit comprises:

obtaining from the POS database inventory data;

determining a product stored in the retail site's inventory based on the obtained inventory data;

determining whether meta-data and/or media content associated with the determined product is missing from the media content storage unit; and

if a determination is made that meta-data and/or media content associated with the determined product is missing from the media content storage unit, then transmitting a request for the missing meta-data and/or media content.

20 . The media sampling method of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the plurality of user sampling stations comprises:

a housing;

a processor housed in the housing;

a display screen coupled to the processor and the housing;

a bar code scanner coupled to the processor and the housing;

a headphone coupled to the housing for enabling a user of the device to listen to user selected audio content;

a connector socket, coupled to the processor, for receiving a plug.

21 . The media sampling method of claim 20 , further comprising:

plugging into the connector socket a plug connected to an end of a cable;

using the cable to provide power the user sampling station and to transmit messages from the station to a server and receive data transmitted from the server; and

transmitting from the station to the server an identification code associated with the station upon receiving power from the cable.

22 . The media sampling method of claim 20 , wherein the connector socket is configured to mate with an RJ45 connector.

23 . The method of claim 20 , further comprising the step of determining whether the user sampling station has been idle for at least a predetermined amount of time.

24 . The method of claim 23 , further comprising the step of transmitting a request from the user sampling station to a server in response to a determination that the user sampling station has been idle for at least the predetermined amount of time.

25 . The method of claim 20 , further comprising the step of attaching the housing to a mounting bracket.

26 . The method of claim 20 , further comprising transmitting a message from the user sampling station to a server in response to the bar code scanner scanning a bar code, wherein the message includes the bar code value.

27 . The method of claim 20 , further comprising the steps of:

receiving at the user sampling station a resource locator transmitted from a server, the resource locator identifying a server and identifying a resource; and

in response to receiving the resource locator, transmitting to the identified server a request for the identified resource.