Methods and systems for determining a video player playback position

A computer implemented method, the method comprising:

• receiving from a user device, over a network, a request for an item of video content at a first computer system via a network interface of the first computer system;
• receiving, by the first computer system, one or more items of interstitial content from one or more remote systems;
• segmenting, by the first computer system, the one or more of the received items of interstitial content into a plurality of segments;
• encrypting, by the first computer system, the plurality of segments of the one or more items of interstitial content;
• for a given encrypted interstitial segment, associating a corresponding decryption key with a respective locator;
• generating, by the first computer system, a playlist manifest file to include locator entries, the playlist manifest file comprising locators corresponding to;
• segments of the requested item of video content,
• segments of the one or more items of interstitial content, and
• decryption keys for respective segments of the one or more items of interstitial content;
• transmitting, by the first computer system, the generated playlist manifest file, over the network by the first computer system, to the user device;
• receiving, by the first computer system over the network from a user device video player, a request for a first decryption key for an encrypted first segment of an item of interstitial content;
• at least partly based on the request for the first decryption key, determining, by the first computer system, a playback position of the video player;
• based at least in part on the determined playback position of the video player, determining, by the first computer system, a corresponding message;
• and
• transmitting, by the first computer system, the corresponding message over the network to a remote system that is or is associated with a source of the interstitial content from which the first segment was segmented.

A computer implemented method, the method comprising:

• receiving from a user device, over a network at a first computer system comprising hardware, a request for an item of video content via a network interface of the first computer system;
• accessing, by the first computer system, a first item of interstitial content;
• segmenting, by first computer system, the first item of interstitial content into a plurality of segments;
• for a given interstitial segment, associating, by the first computer system, a corresponding locator for an item of content related to, but different than the interstitial segment;
• segmenting the requested item of video content into a plurality of segments;
• identifying segments of the requested item of video content that are to be played by the video player immediately after a respective segment of interstitial content;
• associating related items of content to the identified segments of the requested item of video content that are to be played by the video player immediately after a respective segment of interstitial content;
• generating, by the first computer system, a playlist manifest file to include locators corresponding to:
• segments of the requested item of video content,
• segments of the first item of interstitial content, and
• related items of content for respective segments of the first item of interstitial content;
• including, in the playlist manifest file, locators corresponding to the associated related items of content to the identified segments of the requested item of video content;
• transmitting the generated playlist manifest file, over the network by the first computer system, to the user device;
• receiving over the network, by the first computer system, from a user device video player, a request for a first related item of content for a first segment of the first item of interstitial content;
• at least partly based on the request for the first related item of content for the first segment of the first item of interstitial content, determining, by the first computer system, a playback position of the video player;
• based at least in part on the determined playback position of the video player, determining a message;
• and
• transmitting, by the first computer system, the determined message over the network to a remote system;
• receiving, over the network from the user device video player, a request for a related item of content for a first of the segments of the requested item of video content that are to be played by the video player immediately after a respective segment of interstitial content;
• at least partly based on the request for the related item of content for the first of the segments of the requested item of video content, transmitting a message, indicating that the immediately preceding item of interstitial content has been played by the video player, over the network to a remote system.

A computer implemented method, the method comprising:

• receiving from a user device, over a network at a first computer system comprising hardware, a request for an item of video content via a network interface of the first computer system;
• accessing, by the first computer system, a first item of interstitial content;
• segmenting, by first computer system, the first item of interstitial content into a plurality of segments;
• for a given interstitial segment, associating, by the first computer system, a corresponding locator for an item of content related to, but different than the interstitial segment;
• generating, by the first computer system, a playlist manifest file to include locators corresponding to:
• segments of the requested item of video content,
• segments of the first item of interstitial content, and
• related items of content for respective segments of the first item of interstitial content;
• transmitting the generated playlist manifest file, over the network by the first computer system, to the user device;
• receiving over the network, by the first computer system, from a user device video player, a request for at least one related item of content for a corresponding segment of the first item of interstitial content;
• at least partly based on the request for the at least one related item of content for a corresponding segment of the first item of interstitial content, determining, by the first computer system, a playback position of the video player;
• based at least in part on the determined playback position of the video player, determining a message;
• and
• transmitting, by the first computer system, the determined message over the network to a remote system,
• wherein the generated playlist manifest file comprises an entry for a first related item of content for a first segment of a first item of interstitial content and an entry for a second related item of content for a second segment of the first item of interstitial content, wherein the second related item of content entry is positioned in the playlist manifest file after the first related item of content entry, the method further comprising:
• receiving, by the first computer system, a request from the video player for the second related item of content;
• after receiving the request from the video player for the second related item of content, determining that a request from the video player for the first related item of content has not been received;
• and
• based at least in part on the determination that a request from the video player for the first related item of content has not been received, determining that the first item of interstitial content is being scrubbed through by the video player.

A computer implemented method, the method comprising:

• receiving from a user device, over a network at a first computer system comprising hardware, a request for an item of video content via a network interface of the first computer system;
• accessing, by the first computer system, a first item of interstitial content;
• segmenting, by first computer system, the first item of interstitial content into a plurality of segments;
• for a given interstitial segment, associating, by the first computer system, a corresponding locator for an item of content related to, but different than the interstitial segment;
• generating, by the first computer system, a playlist manifest file to include locators corresponding to:
• segments of the requested item of video content,
• segments of the first item of interstitial content, and
• related items of content for respective segments of the first item of interstitial content;
• transmitting the generated playlist manifest file, over the network by the first computer system, to the user device;
• receiving over the network, by the first computer system, from a user device video player, a request for a first related item of content for a first segment of the first item of interstitial content;
• at least partly based on the request for the first related item of content for the first segment of the first item of interstitial content, determining, by the first computer system, a playback position of the video player;
• based at least in part on the determined playback position of the video player, determining a message;
• and
• transmitting, by the first computer system, the determined message over the network to a remote system;
• wherein the generated playlist manifest file comprises an entry for the first related item of content for the first segment of a first item of interstitial content, an entry for a second related item of content for a second segment of the first item of interstitial content, and an entry for a third related item of content for a third segment of the first item of interstitial content, wherein the second related item of content entry is positioned in the playlist manifest file after the first related item of content entry, and wherein the third related item of content entry is positioned in the playlist manifest file after the second related item of content entry, the method further comprising:
• receiving, by the first computer system, a request from the video player for the third related item of content;
• after receiving the request from the video player for the third related item of content, determining that a request from the video player for the second related item of content has not been received;
• and
• based at least in part on the determination that a request from the video player for the third related item of content has not been received, determining that the first item of interstitial content is being scrubbed through by the video player.

A computer implemented method, the method comprising:

• receiving from a user device, over a network at a first computer system comprising hardware, a request for an item of video content via a network interface of the first computer system;
• accessing, by the first computer system, a first item of interstitial content;
• segmenting, by first computer system, the first item of interstitial content into a plurality of segments;
• for a given interstitial segment, associating, by the first computer system, a corresponding locator for an item of content related to, but different than the interstitial segment;
• generating, by the first computer system, a playlist manifest file to include locators corresponding to:
• segments of the requested item of video content,
• segments of the first item of interstitial content, and
• related items of content for respective segments of the first item of interstitial content;
• transmitting the generated playlist manifest file, over the network by the first computer system, to the user device;
• receiving over the network, by the first computer system, from a user device video player, a request for a first related item of content for a first segment of the first item of interstitial content;
• at least partly based on the request for the first related item of content for the first segment of the first item of interstitial content, determining, by the first computer system, a playback position of the video player;
• based at least in part on the determined playback position of the video player, determining a message;
• and
• transmitting, by the first computer system, the determined message over the network to a remote system,
• wherein a given item of content related to, but different than a given interstitial segment, comprises a decryption key.

A system, comprising:

• a computer device;
• a network interface;
• non-transitory computer readable memory having program instructions stored thereon that when executed by the computing device cause the system to perform operations comprising:
• receiving from a user device, using the network interface, a request for an item of video content;
• receiving one or more items of interstitial content from one or more remote systems;
• segmenting the one or more of the received items of interstitial content into a plurality of segments;
• encrypting the plurality of segments of the one or more items of interstitial content;
• for a given encrypted interstitial segment, associating a corresponding decryption key with a respective locator;
• generating a manifest file to include locator entries, the manifest file comprising locators corresponding to:
• segments of the requested item of video content,
• segments of the one or more items of interstitial content, and
• decryption keys for respective segments of the one or more items of interstitial content;
• transmitting the generated manifest file, using the network interface, to the user device;
• receiving, using the network interface, from a user device video player a request for a first decryption key for an encrypted first segment of an item of interstitial content;
• at least partly based on the request for the first decryption key, determining a playback position of the video player;
• based at least in part on the determined playback position of the video player, transmitting a corresponding message to a remote system.