Patent ID: 8626899
Filing Date: 2014-01-07
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for gathering statistical information regarding a data stream, the method comprising: sending by an encoder device the data stream received from a media source such that the sent data stream is forwarded over a network of routers for delivery to multicast group recipients, the data stream being an internet protocol multicast data stream sent via an internet protocol by the encoder device to a multicast group comprising the multicast group recipients, the multicast group recipients being end point devices, the encoder device not being one of the routers and not being a router; collecting statistical data by a data collection device from routers of the network downstream of the encoder device that are actively involved in delivery of the data stream to the multicast group recipients to determine a number of recipients of the multicast group that received the multicast data stream wherein each of the routers are polled, queried, monitored, or otherwise viewed for the collection of data processed or available at that router, the data collection device not being one of the routers; and processing and analyzing the collected data to ascertain statistical data regarding the recipients of the multicast data stream to determine a number of end point recipients associated with the multicast group recipients that received the data stream, wherein the encoder device in cooperation with the data collection device are involved with some or all of the collected data analysis and processing and wherein the data forwarding device and the data collection device are arranged outside of the network of routers.