System and method for gathering multicast content receiver data

• US 20030231629A1
• Filed: 06/13/2002
• Published: 12/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dutta, Rabindranath, Banerjee, Dwip N., Ravi, Kumar, Yellepeddy, Krishna Kishore
• Granted Patent: US 7,236,465 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/390
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1836 with heterogeneous network architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels

Abstract

A system and method for gathering data regarding receivers of multicast content is provided. A spanning tree is used to connect a content producer, such as a pay-per-view broadcaster, to one or more receivers over a computer network, such as the Internet. Clients that wish to join a multicast group to which content is sent join the multicast group at the client'"'"'s designated multicast router. The router sends information regarding the request, such as a tally of the number of clients that have joined the group, through intermediate routers to an endpoint router as identified by the spanning tree. The content producer is able to use the information, such as the tally and demographic information, to analyze the group of receivers. In a pay-per-view setting, the tally can further be compared to the number of subscribers to determine whether illicit receivers have joined the group, whereupon appropriate action is taken.

Claims

1. A method for gathering data regarding multicast group receivers, said method comprising:

identifying a multicast group identifier to which data is sent over a computer network;

receiving, from a device attached to the computer network, receiver data corresponding to one or more receivers, wherein each of the receivers has joined a multicast group corresponding to the multicast group identifier; and

performing an action in response to receiving the receiver data.

2. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the performing includes:

comparing a tally included in the receiver data with a second tally corresponding to a number of subscribers authorized to receive data sent to the multicast group; and

changing the multicast group identifier to a second multicast group identifier to which the data is sent over the computer network in response to the comparison.

3. The method as described in claim 2 further comprising:

identifying an illicit receiver limit;

determining whether the tally exceeds the second tally by the illicit receiver limit, wherein the changing is performed in response to the determination.

4. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the receiver data includes demographic data corresponding to the receivers and wherein the performing further comprises:

identifying group demographic data from the receiver data; and

analyzing the group demographic data.

5. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

establishing a unicast connection with one or more client devices, wherein the client devices are included in the one or more receivers;

receiving subscription requests from the client devices over the unicast connections;

validating the subscription requests;

sending, over the unicast connections, the multicast group identifier to each client that corresponds to a validated subscription request; and

transmitting one or more data packets through the computer network, wherein each of the data packets includes a destination address based on the multicast group identifier.

6. The method as described in claim 5 further comprising:

receiving a time-to-live value from each of the clients over the unicast connections;

identifying the largest time-to-live value received; and

including the largest time-to-live value in each of the transmitted data packets.

7. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the device from which data is received is an endpoint router.

8. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory accessible by the processors;

a network interface connecting the information handling system to a computer network; and

a multicast receiver gathering tool for gathering data regarding multicast group receivers, the multicast receiver gathering tool including;

means for identifying a multicast group identifier to which data is sent over the computer network;

means for receiving, from a device attached to the computer network, receiver data corresponding to one or more receivers, wherein each of the receivers has joined a multicast group corresponding to the multicast group identifier; and

means for performing an action in response to receiving the receiver data.

9. The information handling system as described in claim 8 wherein the means for performing includes:

means for comparing a tally included in the receiver data with a second tally corresponding to a number of subscribers authorized to receive data sent to the multicast group; and

means for changing the multicast group identifier to a second multicast group identifier to which the data is sent over the computer network in response to the comparison.

10. The information handling system as described in claim 9 further comprising:

means for identifying an illicit receiver limit;

means for determining whether the tally exceeds the second tally by the illicit receiver limit, wherein the means for changing is performed in response to the determination.

11. The information handling system as described in claim 8 wherein the receiver data includes demographic data corresponding to the receivers and wherein the means for performing further comprises:

means for identifying group demographic data from the receiver data; and

means for analyzing the group demographic data.

12. The information handling system as described in claim 8 further comprising:

means for establishing a unicast connection with one or more client devices, wherein the client devices are included in the one or more receivers;

means for receiving subscription requests from the client devices over the unicast connections;

means for validating the subscription requests;

means for sending, over the unicast connections, the multicast group identifier to each client that corresponds to a validated subscription request; and

means for transmitting one or more data packets through the computer network, wherein each of the data packets includes a destination address based on the multicast group identifier.

13. The information handling system as described in claim 12 further comprising:

means for receiving a time-to-live value from each of the clients over the unicast connections;

means for identifying the largest time-to-live value received; and

means for including the largest time-to-live value in each of the transmitted data packets.

14. The information handling system as described in claim 8 wherein the device from which data is received is an endpoint router.

15. A computer program product stored in a computer operable media for gathering data regarding multicast group receivers, said computer program product comprising:

means for identifying a multicast group identifier to which data is sent over the computer network;

means for receiving, from a device attached to the computer network, receiver data corresponding to one or more receivers, wherein each of the receivers has joined a multicast group corresponding to the multicast group identifier; and

means for performing an action in response to receiving the receiver data.

16. The computer program product as described in claim 15 wherein the means for performing includes:

means for comparing a tally included in the receiver data with a second tally corresponding to a number of subscribers authorized to receive data sent to the multicast group; and

means for changing the multicast group identifier to a second multicast group identifier to which the data is sent over the computer network in response to the comparison.

17. The computer program product as described in claim 16 further comprising:

means for identifying an illicit receiver limit;

means for determining whether the tally exceeds the second tally by the illicit receiver limit, wherein the means for changing is performed in response to the determination.

18. The computer program product as described in claim 15 wherein the receiver data includes demographic data corresponding to the receivers and wherein the means for performing further comprises:

means for identifying group demographic data from the receiver data; and

means for analyzing the group demographic data.

19. The computer program product as described in claim 15 further comprising:

means for establishing a unicast connection with one or more client devices, wherein the client devices are included in the one or more receivers;

means for receiving subscription requests from the client devices over the unicast connections;

means for validating the subscription requests;

means for sending, over the unicast connections, the multicast group identifier to each client that corresponds to a validated subscription request; and

means for transmitting one or more data packets through the computer network, wherein each of the data packets includes a destination address based on the multicast group identifier.

20. The computer program product as described in claim 19 further comprising:

means for receiving a time-to-live value from each of the clients over the unicast connections;

means for identifying the largest time-to-live value received; and

means for including the largest time-to-live value in each of the transmitted data packets.

21. The computer program product as described in claim 15 wherein the device from which data is received is an endpoint router.

22. A method of a router connected to a computer network for processing multicast requests, said method comprising:

receiving a multicast group join request from a requesting device connected to the computer network, wherein the request includes a multicast group identifier;

incrementing a tally corresponding to the multicast group identifier; and

sending multicast information corresponding to the multicast group identifier to a second device connected to the computer network, wherein the multicast information includes the tally.

23. The method as described in claim 22 wherein the second device is a computer system, the method further comprising:

receiving a inquiry request from the computer system, the inquiry request including the multicast group identifier; and

sending the multicast information to the computer system in response to the inquiry response, wherein the multicast information includes the tally.

24. The method as described in claim 22 wherein the second device is a second router, the method further comprising:

identifying a spanning tree between the router and an endpoint router, wherein the spanning tree corresponds to the multicast group identifier; and

determining an address corresponding to the second router based on the identified spanning tree.

25. The method as described in claim 22 further comprising:

determining that the multicast group join request is the first join request corresponding to the multicast group identifier received at the router;

setting a router filter to include the multicast group identifier in response to the determination;

identifying one or more data packets addressed to the multicast group identifier and transmitted through the computer network in response to the setting; and

forwarding the identified data packets to one or more receivers, wherein the requesting device is included in the group of receivers.

26. The method as described in claim 22 further comprising:

receiving demographic data from the requesting device, wherein the multicast information includes the demographic data.

27. A router comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory accessible by the processors;

a network interface connecting the information handling system to a computer network; and

a multicast request tool for processing multicast requests, the multicast request tool including;

means for receiving, at the network interface, a multicast group join request from a requesting device connected to the computer network, wherein the request includes a multicast group identifier;

means for incrementing a tally corresponding to the multicast group identifier; and

means for sending, through the network interface, multicast information corresponding to the multicast group identifier to a second device connected to the computer network, wherein the multicast information includes the tally.

28. The router as described in claim 27 wherein the second device is a computer system, the router further comprising:

means for receiving a inquiry request from the computer system, the inquiry request including the multicast group identifier; and

means for sending the multicast information to the computer system in response to the inquiry response.

29. The router as described in claim 27 wherein the second device is a second router, the router further comprising:

means for identifying a spanning tree between the router and an endpoint router, wherein the spanning tree corresponds to the multicast group identifier; and

means for determining an address corresponding to the second router based on the identified spanning tree.

30. The router as described in claim 27 further comprising:

a router filter stored in the memory that identifies one or more addresses for which the router is listening;

means for determining that the multicast group join request is the first join request corresponding to the multicast group identifier received at the router;

means for adding the multicast group identifier to the filter in response to the determination;

means for identifying for one or more data packets addressed to the multicast group identifier transmitted to the network interface; and

means for forwarding the identified data packets to one or more receivers, wherein the requesting device is included in the group of receivers.

31. The router as described in claim 27 further comprising:

means for receiving demographic data from the requesting device, wherein the multicast information includes the demographic data.

32. A computer program product adapted for use in a router for processing multicast requests, said computer program product comprising:

means for receiving a multicast group join request from a requesting device connected to the computer network, wherein the request includes a multicast group identifier;

means for incrementing a tally corresponding to the multicast group identifier; and

means for sending multicast information corresponding to the multicast group identifier to a second device connected to the computer network, wherein the multicast information includes the tally.

33. The computer program product as described in claim 32 wherein the second device is a computer system, the computer program product further comprising:

means for receiving a inquiry request from the computer system, the inquiry request including the multicast group identifier; and

means for sending the multicast information to the computer system in response to the inquiry response.

34. The computer program product as described in claim 32 wherein the second device is a second router, the computer program product further comprising:

means for identifying a spanning tree between the router and an endpoint router, wherein the spanning tree corresponds to the multicast group identifier; and

means for determining an address corresponding to the second router based on the identified spanning tree.

35. The computer program product as described in claim 32 further comprising:

means for determining that the multicast group join request is the first join request corresponding to the multicast group identifier received at the router;

means for setting a router filter to include the multicast group identifier in response to the determination;

means for identifying one or more data packets addressed to the multicast group identifier and transmitted through the computer network in response to the setting; and

means for forwarding the identified data packets to one or more receivers, wherein the requesting device is included in the group of receivers.

36. The computer program product as described in claim 32 further comprising:

means for receiving demographic data from the requesting device, wherein the multicast information includes the demographic data.