Patent ID: 9094140
Filing Date: 2015-07-28
Classification: H04H,H04N

Abstract:
1. A data collection entity for use in a content delivery network, said data collection entity communicates with at least one of a plurality of consumer premises equipment (CPE) in said content delivery network, said data collection entity comprising: an apparatus that collects a plurality of audience viewership event data from at least one of said plurality of CPE, said plurality of audience viewership event data associated with one or more events which occur on said at least one CPE; a digital processor, said digital processor runs at least one computer application thereon, said at least one computer application comprising a plurality of instructions which when executed: generate an event message for individual ones of said plurality of audience viewership event data collected, said event message comprising an identifier, said identifier comprising a first output of a first one-way hash function and a second output of a second one-way hash function, said first one-way hash function comprising a hash of a first salt value and a media access control (MAC) address of said at least one CPE, and said second one-way hash function comprising a hash of a second salt value and a customer identifier; and identify information contained in said event message which is not stored in said plurality of audience viewership event data that has been previously collected; and an interface, said interface that sends said event message to a destination.