Generating media stream including contextual markers

Abstract

A streaming server generates a media stream, and delivers it to an end user. The streaming server receives media items and an item schedule, and assembles the media items into the media stream based on timing relationships specified by the item schedule. The media stream includes an advertising spot block including advertising media content, and an adjacent spot block including other media content. The streaming server inserts a contextual marker into the advertising spot block. The contextual marker includes information identifying the other media content in the adjacent spot bloc. The streaming server transmits the media stream to an end-user media player, which is configured to process the contextual marker.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of generating a media stream being delivered to an end user, the method comprising:
 receiving media items at a streaming server;   receiving an item schedule at the streaming server;   assembling the media items into the media stream based on timing relationships specified by the item schedule, wherein the media stream includes:
 an advertising spot block including advertising media content; and 
 an adjacent spot block including other media content; 
   inserting a contextual marker into the advertising spot block, wherein the contextual marker includes information identifying the other media content in the adjacent spot block; and   transmitting the media stream to an end-user media player configured to process the contextual marker.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the contextual marker further includes format information specifying a protocol the end-user media player uses to generate and transmit a tracking call.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the contextual marker further includes address information specifying a tracking-call destination address.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the contextual marker further includes an encrypted show code identifier configured to be stripped from the contextual marker and inserted into the tracking call.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the contextual marker further includes information related to the advertising media content.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 transmitting the end-user media player to an end-user mobile device.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 inserting the contextual marker into the advertising spot block includes inserting an in-band Uniform Resource Locator (URL) into the advertising spot block.   
     
     
         8 . A streaming server comprising:
 at least one processor and associated memory;   a communications interface coupled to the at least one processor and the associated memory, the communications interface configured to:
 receive media items; 
 receive an item schedule; 
   the at least one processor and the associated memory are configured to:
 assemble the media items into a media stream based on timing relationships specified by the item schedule, wherein the media stream includes:
 an advertising spot block including advertising media content; and 
 an adjacent spot block including other media content; 
 
 insert a contextual marker into the advertising spot block, wherein the contextual marker includes information identifying the other media content in the adjacent spot block; and 
   the communications interface is further configured to transmit the media stream to an end-user media player configured to process the contextual marker.   
     
     
         9 . The streaming server of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the contextual marker further includes format information specifying a protocol the end-user media player uses to generate and transmit a tracking call.   
     
     
         10 . The streaming server of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the contextual marker further includes address information specifying a tracking-call destination address.   
     
     
         11 . The streaming server of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the contextual marker further includes an encrypted show code identifier configured to be stripped from the contextual marker and inserted into the tracking call.   
     
     
         12 . The streaming server of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the contextual marker further includes information related to the advertising media content.   
     
     
         13 . The streaming server of  claim 8 , wherein:
 wherein the communications interface is further configured to transmit the end-user media player to an end-user mobile device.   
     
     
         14 . The streaming server of  claim 8  wherein:
 the at least one processor and the associated memory are configured to insert an in-band Uniform Resource Locator (URL) into the advertising spot block. 
 
     
     
         15 . A streaming server comprising:
 at least one processor and associated memory configured to implement a contextual marker insertion module, wherein the contextual marker insertion module:
 assembles media items into a media stream based on timing relationships specified by an item schedule, wherein the media stream includes:
 an advertising spot block including advertising media content; and 
 an adjacent spot block including other media content; 
 
 inserts a contextual marker into the advertising spot block, wherein the contextual marker includes information identifying the other media content in the adjacent spot block; and 
   a communications interface coupled to the at least one processor and the associated memory, the communications interface configured to transmit the media stream, via a content distribution network, to an end-user media player configured to process the contextual marker.   
     
     
         16 . The streaming server of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the contextual marker further includes format information specifying a protocol the end-user media player uses to generate and transmit a tracking call.   
     
     
         17 . The streaming server of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the contextual marker further includes address information specifying a tracking-call destination address.   
     
     
         18 . The streaming server of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the contextual marker further includes an encrypted show code identifier configured to be stripped from the contextual marker and inserted into the tracking call.   
     
     
         19 . The streaming server of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the contextual marker further includes information related to the advertising media content.   
     
     
         20 . The streaming server of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the information identifying the other media content in the adjacent spot block includes information sufficient to identify a particular instance of the other media content.