Internet Streaming and the Presentation of Dynamic Content

1. A method of a broadcaster, being the original source of audio content, and streaming said audio content on the Internet to dynamically replace a first advertising content element of a received continuous audio media stream with a second advertising content element to create an edited continuous media stream for an Internet audience, and further using script command messages to cause compatible client devices to play a third advertising content element instead of the second advertising content element contained in the edited continuous media stream, comprising the steps of: using a computing system of the broadcaster, the computing system comprising a processor, an encoder and a delay filter: a. receiving a continuous audio media stream from a source of a broadcaster and inserting the media stream into the delay filter; b. receiving metadata from a source of the broadcaster as the content elements are received, the metadata identifying a first advertising content element in the received continuous media stream for replacement; c. inserting the second advertising content element into the delay filter instead of the first advertising content element at the moment the first advertising content element would otherwise have been inserted into the delay filter; d. adjusting the delay of the delay filter if there are differences in duration between the first and second advertising content elements; e. inserting a script command message into the delay filter simultaneously with the insertion of the second advertising content element wherein the script command messages and received media stream pass synchronously through the delay filter and wherein the script command message comprises an instruction to cause compatible client devices to play a third advertising content element instead of the second advertising content element; f. receiving the media stream and script command output of the delay filter when the delay has expired for each quantum of data in the delay filter; g. transmitting the media stream output of the delay filter as a media channel of a composite data stream over a network to a media distribution server; and, i. transmitting the script command message output of the delay filter as a control channel of the composite data stream wherein the media channel and the control channel travel synchronously over the network to the media distribution server and are simultaneously delivered by the media distribution server to client devices; whereby, in the process of playing the edited continuous media stream, the compatible client devices, upon receiving the script command message coincident with the receipt of the second advertising content element in the audio stream, are caused to play the third advertising content element instead of the second advertising content element, while incompatible client devices play the edited continuous media stream including the second advertising content element.

2. A method as recited by claim 1 , wherein the script command message inserted into the delay filter is a start command message, and the computing system concurrently inserts a pre-fetch script command message into the control channel of the composite data stream, the pre-fetch script command message being immediately transmitted to the distribution server and relayed to the connected client devices, thereby causing the compatible client devices to retrieve and prepare to play the third content element upon receipt of the start command message.

3. A method as recited by claim 1 , wherein the command message inserted into the delay filter incorporates a tag by which one client device may obtain a third advertising content element which is different from the third advertising content element obtained by another client device.

4. A method as recited by claim 1 , wherein the command message inserted into the delay filter is accompanied by and/or incorporates a reference to a companion display element to be presented on the client devices concurrently with playing the third advertising content element, upon receipt of which the client devices obtain and present the companion display element.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the second advertising content element is comprised of audio, and the third advertising content element is comprised of video, and wherein the command message comprises instructions to the client device to dynamically reconfigure from an audio-mode player to a video-mode player.

6. A non-transitory machine-readable medium containing processor readable code for programming a processor of computing system of a broadcaster, being the original source of audio content, and streaming said audio content on the Internet to dynamically replace a first advertising content element of a received continuous audio media stream with a second advertising content element to create an edited continuous media stream for an Internet audience, and further using script command messages to cause compatible client devices to play a third advertising content element instead of the second advertising content element, comprising: a computing system of the broadcaster, the computing system comprising a processor, an encoder and a delay filter, and having: a. a routine to receive a continuous audio media stream from a source of the broadcaster and inserting the media stream into a delay filter; b. a routine to concurrently receive metadata from the source of the broadcaster, the metadata describing content elements of the received continuous media stream as the content elements are received, the metadata identifying a first advertising content element in the received continuous media stream for replacement; c. a routine to insert a second advertising content element into the delay filter instead of the first advertising content element at the moment the first advertising content element would otherwise have been inserted into the delay filter; d. a routine to adjust the delay of the delay filter if there are differences in duration between the first and second advertising content elements; e. a routine to insert a script command message into the delay filter simultaneously with the insertion of the second advertising content element wherein the script command message and received media stream pass synchronously through the delay filter and wherein the script command message comprises an instruction to cause compatible client devices to play a third advertising content element instead of the second advertising content element; f. a routine to receive the media stream and script command output of the delay filter when the delay has expired for each quantum of data in the delay filter; g. a routine to transmit the media stream output of the delay filter as a media channel of a composite data stream over a network to a media distribution server; and, h. a routine to transmit the script command message output of the delay filter as a control channel of the composite data stream wherein the media channel and the control channel travel synchronously over the network to the media distribution server and are simultaneously delivered by the media distribution server to client devices; whereby, in the process of playing the edited continuous media stream, the compatible client devices, upon receiving the script command message coincident with the receipt of the second advertising content element in the audio stream, are caused to play the third advertising content element instead of the second advertising content element, while incompatible client devices play the edited continuous media stream as is.

7. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the routine to insert the script command message into the delay filter inserts a start script command message, and the computing system concurrently inserts a pre-fetch script command message into the control channel of the composite data stream, the pre-fetch script command message being immediately transmitted to the distribution media server and relayed to the connected client devices, thereby causing the compatible client devices to retrieve and prepare to play the third advertising content element upon receipt of the start command message.

8. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the command message inserted into the delay filter incorporates a tag by which one client device may obtain a third advertising content element which is different from the third advertising content element obtained by another client media player.

9. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the command message inserted into the delay filter is accompanied by and/or incorporates a reference to a companion display element to be presented on the client devices concurrently with playing the third advertising content element, upon receipt of which the client devices obtain and present the companion display element.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 6 wherein the second advertising content element is comprised of audio, and the third advertising content element is comprised of video, and wherein the command message comprises instructions to the client device to dynamically reconfigure from an audio-mode player to a video-mode player.

11. A method of a broadcaster, being the original source of audio content, and streaming said audio content on the Internet to dynamically replace a first advertising content element with a second advertising content element so that Internet audience client devices receive an edited continuous media stream, and further using script command messages to cause compatible client devices to play a third advertising content element instead of the second advertising content element contained in the continuous media stream, comprising the steps of: using a computing system of the broadcaster, the computing system comprising a processor, an encoder and a delay filter: a. receiving a continuous audio media stream and associated metadata from a source of a broadcaster, the metadata identifying the content elements of the media stream, and inserting the media stream into the delay filter; b. replacing a first advertising content element of the media stream by inserting a second advertising content element into the delay filter in place of the first advertising content element, and concurrently inserting a start script command message for playing a third advertising content element into the delay filter simultaneously with the beginning of the second advertising content element; c. receiving, when the delay has expired, the media stream output of the delay filter as an edited continuous media stream and transmitting it as a media channel of a composite data stream, and transmitting script command messages from the output of the delay filter as a control channel of the composite data stream, the script command messages being synchronized with associated advertising content elements; and, d. transmitting the composite data stream to a media distribution server for delivery to client devices; wherein upon receipt of a start script command message coincident with the receipt of the second advertising content element, the compatible client devices play the third advertising content element in lieu of playing the second advertising content element being received in the edited continuous media stream, whereas client devices incapable of acting upon the start script command message do play the second advertising content element.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the computing system, concurrently with inserting the start script command message into the delay filter, also inserts a pre-fetch script command message for the third advertising content element into the control channel of the composite data stream, the pre-fetch script command message being immediately transmitted to the distribution media server and relayed to the connected client devices, and causing the compatible client devices to retrieve and prepare to play the third advertising content element upon receipt of the start command message.

13. The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the start script command message for the third advertising content element incorporates a tag by which one client device may obtain a third advertising content element which is different from the third advertising content element obtained by another client device.

14. The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the start script command message is accompanied by and/or incorporates a reference to a companion display element to be presented on the client devices concurrently with playing the third advertising content element, upon receipt of which the client devices obtain and present the companion display element.

15. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein the second advertising content element is comprised of audio, and the third advertising content element is comprised of video, and wherein the script command message comprises instructions to the client device to dynamically reconfigure from an audio-mode player to a video-mode player.

16. A non-transitory machine-readable medium containing processor readable code for programming a processor of a computing system of a broadcaster, being the original source of audio content, and streaming that audio content on the Internet to dynamically replace a first advertising content element of a received continuous audio media stream with a second advertising content element so that the Internet audience client devices receive an edited continuous media stream, and further using script command messages to cause compatible client devices to play a third advertising content element instead of the second advertising content element contained in the edited continuous media stream, comprising: a computing system of the broadcaster, the computing system comprising a processor, an encoder and a delay filter, and having: a. a routine to receive a continuous audio media stream and associated metadata from a source of the broadcaster, the metadata identifying the content elements of the media stream, and to insert the media stream into the delay filter; b. a routine to replace a first advertising content element of the media stream by inserting a second advertising content element into the delay filter in place of the first advertising content element, and concurrently inserting a start script command message for playing a third advertising content element into the delay filter simultaneously with the beginning of the second advertising content element; c. a routine, when the delay has expired, to receive the media stream output of the delay filter as an edited continuous media stream, and to transmit it as a media channel of a composite data stream, and to transmit script command messages from the output of the delay filter as a control channel of the composite data stream in which the script command messages are synchronized with associated advertising content elements; and, d. a routine to transmit the composite data stream to a media distribution server for delivery to client devices; wherein upon receipt of the start script command message coincident with the receipt of the second advertising content element, the compatible client devices are caused to play the third advertising content element in lieu of playing the second advertising content element being received in the edited continuous media stream, whereas client devices incapable of acting upon the script command message do play the second advertising content element.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the routine to insert the start command message into the delay filter concurrently inserts a pre-fetch script command message for the third advertising content element into the control channel of the composite data stream, the pre-fetch script command message being immediately transmitted to the distribution media server and relayed to the connected client devices, and causing the client devices to retrieve and prepare to play the third advertising content element upon receipt of the start command message.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the start script command message for the third content element incorporates a tag by which one client device may obtain a third advertising content element which is different from the third advertising content element obtained by another client device.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the start script command message inserted into the delay filter is accompanied by and/or incorporates a reference to a companion display element to be presented on the client devices concurrently with playing the third advertising content element, upon receipt of which the client devices obtain and present the companion display element.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the second advertising content element is comprised of audio, and the third advertising content element is comprised of video, and wherein the start script command message comprises instructions to the client device to dynamically reconfigure from an audio-mode player to a video-mode player.