Method and apparatus for maintaining content view statistics in a named data network

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, by a media broker, a check-in message from a client device consuming a data object;

analyzing, by a processor, the check-in message to determine at least the data object being consumed by the client device, and identifying information for the client device or user of the client device;

determining demographic information for the client device or the user based on the identifying information from the check-in message;

accounting for the demographic information in association with the data object;

responsive to receiving the check-in message, generating a response packet that satisfies the check-in message, wherein the response packet grants the client device access to present the data object's contents to the user;

returning the response packet to satisfy the check-in message;

receiving an Interest that requests aggregated demographic information for data object;

generating an analytics report that includes aggregated demographic information for clients that have consumed the data object;

generating a Content Object whose payload includes the analytics report; and

disseminating the Content Object over a named-data network to satisfy the Interest.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein analyzing the check-in message involves obtaining a unique identifier for the client device or the user, wherein the unique identifier includes at least one of a public key or any other secure identifier that is unique to the client device or the user of the client device; and

wherein determining the demographic information involves querying a demographic-information repository based on the unique identifier.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein analyzing the check-in message involves obtaining, from the check-in message, one or more demographic-information attributes that characterize the client device or a user of the client device, wherein the demographic-information attributes include one or more of:

location information;

demographic information; and

a session identifier.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein accounting for the demographic information involves aggregating a respective demographic-information attribute into a corresponding aggregated-attribute value of a demographic-information repository, wherein the aggregated-attribute value aggregates demographic information from a plurality of users.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein accounting for the demographic-information involves storing the determined demographic information in a demographic-information repository in association with the data object.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the response packet includes a secret sauce that includes instructions for the client device to decode the data object.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving a check-in message from a client device consuming a data object;

analyzing the check-in message to determine at least the data object being consumed by the client device, and identifying information for the client device or a user of the client device;

determining demographic information for the client device or the user based on the identifying information from the check-in message;

accounting for the demographic information in association with the data object;

responsive to receiving the check-in message, generating a response packet that satisfies the check-in message, wherein the response packet grants the client device access to present the data object's contents to the user;

returning the responsive packet to satisfy the check-in message;

receiving an Interest that requests aggregated demographic information for the data object;

generating an analytic report that includes aggregated demographic-information for clients that have consumed the data object;

generating a Content Object whose payload includes the analytics report; and

disseminating the Content Object over a named-data network to satisfy the Interest.

8. The storage medium of claim 7 , wherein analyzing the check-in message involves obtaining a unique identifier for the client device or the user, wherein the unique identifier includes at least one of a public key or any other secure identifier that is unique to the client device or the user of the client device; and

wherein determining the demographic information involves querying a demographic-information repository based on the unique identifier.

9. The storage medium of claim 7 , wherein analyzing the check-in message involves obtaining, from the checkin message, one or more demographic-information attributes that characterize the client device or a user of the client device, wherein the demographic-information attributes include one or more of:

location information;

demographic information; and

a session identifier.

10. The storage medium of claim 7 , wherein accounting for the demographic information information involves aggregating a respective demographic-information attribute into a corresponding aggregated-attribute value of a demographic-information repository, wherein the aggregated-attribute value aggregates demographic-information from a plurality of users.

11. The storage medium of claim 7 , wherein accounting for the demographic-information involves storing the determined demographic information in a demographic-information repository in association with the data object.

12. The storage medium of claim 7 , wherein the response packet includes a secret sauce that includes instructions for the client device to decode the data object.

13. A computer system, comprising:

a processor; and

a storage device storing instructions which when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising;

receiving by a media broker, a check-in message from a client device consuming a data object;

analyzing the check-in message to determine at least the data object being consumed by the client device, and identifying information for the client device or a user of the client device;

determining demographic information for the client device or the user based on the identifying information from the check-in message;

accounting for the demographic information in association with the data object;

responsive to receiving the check-in message, generating a response packet that satisfies the check-in message, wherein the response packet grants the client device access to present the data object's contents to the user;

returning the response packet to satisfy the check-in message;

receiving an Interest that requests aggregated demographic information for the data object;

generating an analytics report that includes aggregated demographic information for clients that have consumed the data object;

generating a Content Object whose payload includes the analytics report; and

disseminating the Content Object over a named-data network to satisfy the Interest.

14. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein analyzing the check-in message involves obtaining a unique identifier for the client device or the user, wherein the unique identifier includes at least one of a public key or any other secure identifier that is unique to the client device or the user of the client device; and

wherein determining the demographic information involves querying a demographic-information repository based on the unique identifier.

15. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein analyzing the check-in message involves obtaining, from the check-in message, one or more demographic-information attributes that characterize the client device or a user of the client device, wherein the demographic-information attributes include one or more of;

location information;

demographic information; and

a session identifier.

16. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein accounting for the demographic information involves aggregating a respective demographic-information attribute into a corresponding aggregated-attribute value of a demographic-information repository, wherein the aggregated-attribute value aggregates demographic information from a plurality of users.

17. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein accounting for the demographic information involves storing the determined demographic information in a demographic-information repository in association with the data object.

18. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein the response packet includes a secret sauce that includes instructions for the client device to decode the data object.