Methods and apparatus for transmitting multimedia files in a data network
A method of transmitting a multimedia file involves receiving a first message in a first protocol that requests first data associated with the multimedia file, the first data useable to establish a streaming session that transmits the multimedia file. The first message includes identifying data of a referring site. The method also involves transmitting to a requesting device the first data and optionally the identifying data of the referring site and then receiving a second message in a second protocol for the purpose of creating a streaming session associated with the multimedia file. A streaming session is then created for transmitting the multimedia file to the device. In another implementation a method is provided that involves receiving in a computing device from a referring site an identifier of first data associated with a multimedia file and identifying data of the referring site, which is useable for establishing a streaming session.
1. A computer-implemented method of transmitting a multimedia file, the method comprising:
receiving, by a web server, a first message in a first protocol from a computing device, the first message comprising a request for a digital file associated with a referring web site, a first URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) associated with the digital file, and data identifying the referring web site;
updating the digital file by the web server to incorporate the referring web site identifying data;
transmitting, by the web server, the updated digital file to the computing device;
receiving, by a streaming server, a second message in a second protocol from the computing device, the second message comprising the referring web site identifying data and a second data identifying a multimedia file which comprises an advertising portion and a content portion, the advertising portion comprising an advertisement;
generating, in the streaming server, a streaming session for transmitting the multimedia file to the computing device;
associating the streaming session with the referring web site identifying data;
transmitting, by the streaming server, at least a part of the multimedia file to the computing device;
tracking, by the streaming server, the advertisement transmitted through the streaming session to the computing device; and
effecting remuneration to the referring website with the streaming server using data relating to the advertisements transmitted through the streaming session.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first protocol comprises Hypertext Transfer Protocol.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second protocol comprises Real Time Streaming Protocol.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the generating the streaming session comprises creating the streaming session with a session identifier comprising the identifying data of the referring site.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the transmitting the at least a part of the multimedia file comprises transmitting the content portion after transmitting the advertisement.
6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the web server and the streaming server are a same computing device.
7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the first protocol comprises a stateless protocol.
8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the second protocol comprises a stateful protocol.
9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the first protocol comprises a stateless protocol and the second protocol comprises a stateful protocol.
10. A computer-implemented method of transmitting a multimedia file, the method comprising:
receiving, at a streaming server, a first message in a first protocol from a computing device, the first message comprising a request for a digital file associated with a referring web site, a first URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) associated with the digital file, and data identifying the referring web site;
updating the digital file by the streaming server to incorporate referring web site identifying data;
transmitting, by the streaming server, the updated digital file to the computing device;
receiving, by the streaming server, from the computing device, a second message in a second protocol, the second message comprising the referring web site identifying data and a second data identifying a multimedia file which comprises an advertising portion and a content portion, the advertising portion comprising an advertisement;
generating, in the streaming server, a streaming session for transmitting the multimedia file to the computing device;
associating the streaming session with the identifying data of the referring web site;
transmitting, by the streaming server, at least a part of the multimedia file to the computing device;
tracking, by the streaming server, the advertisement transmitted through the streaming session to the computing device; and
effecting remuneration to the referring website with the streaming server using data relating to the advertisements transmitted through the streaming session.
11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the first protocol comprises Real Time Streaming Protocol.
12. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the second protocol comprises Real Time Streaming Protocol.
13. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the generating the streaming session comprises creating the streaming session with a session identifier comprising the referring web site identifying data.
14. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the transmitting the at least a portion of the multimedia file comprises transmitting the content portion after transmitting the advertisement.
15. The method according to claim 10 wherein the first and the second protocol comprise stateful protocols.
16. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that in response to execution of the instructions cause one or more computing devices to perform operations comprising:
receiving a first message in a first protocol from a user computing device, the first message comprising:
a request for a digital file associated with a referring web site, and data identifying the referring web site;
updating the digital file to incorporate the referring web site identifying data;
transmitting the updated digital file to the user computing device;
receiving a second message in a second protocol from the user computing device, the second message comprising the referring web site identifying data and second data identifying a multimedia file comprising an advertising portion and a content portion;
generating a streaming session for transmitting the multimedia file from a streaming server to the user computing device;
associating the streaming session with the referring web site identifying data;
transmitting at least a part of the multimedia file from the streaming server to the user computing device;
tracking the advertising portion transmitted through the streaming session from the streaming server to the computing device; and
effecting remuneration to the referring website using data relating to the advertisements transmitted through the streaming session.
17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein the instructions for the first protocol comprise Hypertext Transfer Protocol instructions.
18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein the instructions for the second protocol comprise Real Time Streaming Protocol instructions.
19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein the instructions for the first and second protocol comprise Real Time Streaming Protocol instructions.
20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein the instructions for the first protocol comprise stateless protocol instructions and the instructions for the second protocol comprise a stateful protocol instructions.
21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein the instructions further cause the one or more computing devices to perform operations comprising assigning a session identifier to the streaming session and store the referring web site identifying data associated with the session identifier in a database.