Patent ID: 7873638
Filing Date: 2011-01-18
Classification: H04H,H04N

Abstract:
1. A content delivery network for transmitting multiple channels of content; said network comprising: (a) a multiple channel source for generating multiple channels of content; (b) a user interface for receiving one or more user input from one or more users; (c) a detection and reporting member comprising one or more sniffers distributed in the network for detecting and reporting in real time one or more users' preference of content based on user input from the one or more users, wherein each of the multiple channel sources and the user interface comprise one of the one or more sniffers; (d) at least one multicast element and a transmission medium operably connected to said at least one multicast element and to said multiple channel source, and wherein said detection and reporting member is operably connected to said multicast element with a sniffer of the one or more sniffers at the at least one multicast element; and (e) a service analysis and management analysis system configured to receive the user input from the one or more users and to provide statistical reports of content utilized by each of the one or more users, wherein said service analysis and management analysis system is further configured to correlate the user input and content description to create statistical databases and report of the one or more users behaviors of a specific set of one or more users, wherein said service analysis and management analysis system comprises filtering to remove recognizable behavior patterns not relevant to managing the content delivery network, and wherein said service analysis and management analysis system is separate from said user interface; wherein one of said one or more sniffers is contained in a broadband loop carrier, each of said sniffers is configured to extract in real time said one or more user input using Internet Group Managed Protocol (IGMP) functionality, and wherein data on the transmission medium is controlled responsive to extracted user input from the sniffers.