Methods and apparatus for audience data collection and analysis in a content delivery network

1. A method for anonymizing data collected by one or more computers in a data collection system of a content delivery network, said method comprising:

collecting a first identifier data element, said first identifier data element uniquely identifying at least one client device in a first one of a plurality of households within said content delivery network;

determining a second identifier data element, said second identifier data element being descriptive of a geographic location associated with said at least one client device;

concatenating said first identifier data element and said second identifier data element to generate concatenated identifier elements automatically using a first computerized process;

converting digits of said concatenated identifier data elements to a first converted format yielding a first converted string of digits automatically using a second computerized process;

dividing said first converted string of digits into a plurality of first and second alternating segments automatically using a third computerized process, said first and second alternating segments each comprising n-bit data structures;

adjusting each of said plurality of first and second alternating segments to generate an adjusted plurality of segments by:

adding a first fixed value to said plurality of first segments and carrying an overflow to a plurality of adjacent segments automatically using a fourth computerized process; and

subtracting a second fixed value from said plurality of second segments automatically using a fifth computerized process;

converting said adjusted plurality of segments to a second converted format automatically using a sixth computerized process;

performing a first cryptographic hash of said second converted plurality of segments to produce one or more results automatically using a seventh computerized process; and

storing said one or more results on a computer readable storage apparatus for use in said anonymous data collection, said computer readable storage apparatus being in communication with said one or more computers of said data collection system.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first identifier data element comprises a customer identifier.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said second identifier data element comprises a division identifier.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first converted format comprises a hexadecimal representation and said plurality of first and second alternating segments comprises 32 bit segments.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying a media access control (MAC) address corresponding to said at least one client device within said first one of said plurality of households; and

performing at least a second cryptographic hash of said MAC address.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said second converted format comprises American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) character representation.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said act of performing said cryptographic hash comprises:

selecting hash algorithm parameters;

generating both public and private keys for a single user based at least in part on said hash algorithm parameters; and

calculating a message signature based at least in part on said hash algorithm parameters.

8. A computer readable apparatus comprising a non-transitory medium adapted to store a computer program for anonymizing data collected in a data collection system of a content delivery network, said computer program comprising a plurality of instructions which are configured to, when executed:

collect a unique identifier data structure of a particular user of a network associated with at least one client device of a user;

convert said unique identifier data structure to a first converted format which yields a first converted string of digits automatically using a first computerized process;

divide said first converted string of digits into a plurality of odd n-bit segments alternating with a plurality of even n-bit segments automatically using a second computerized process;

add a first fixed value to said plurality of even n-bit segments and carry overflow bits to a first adjacent odd segment automatically using a third computerized process to generate an adjusted plurality of even n-bit segments;

subtract a second fixed value from said plurality of odd n-bit segments automatically using a fourth computerized process and borrow from a second adjacent even segment when needed to generate an adjusted plurality of odd n-bit segments;

convert said adjusted plurality of odd n-bit segments and said adjusted plurality of even n-bit segments to a second converted format automatically using a fifth computerized process; and

apply a cryptographic hash to said second converted format automatically using a sixth computerized process.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein said plurality of instructions are further configured to:

determine a demographic or geographic identifier associated with said particular user;

combine said unique identifier data structure of said particular user and said demographic or geographic identifier to generate a combined unique identifier data structure and said demographic or geographic identifier; and

create said first converted format from said combined unique identifier data structure and said demographic or geographic identifier.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein said first converted string of digits comprises a hexadecimal representation of said unique identifier data structure.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein:

said plurality of odd n-bit segments and said plurality of even n-bit segments comprise 32 bit segments;

said second converted format comprises American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) character representation; and

said cryptographic hash comprises a Message-Digest algorithm 5 (MD5) cryptographic hash.

12. A computer implemented method for anonymizing data collected in a data collection system of a content delivery network, said method comprising:

collecting at least one unique identifier data element associated with at least one subscriber device in a first one of a plurality of households, said at least one unique identifier data element comprising a plurality of digits;

converting said plurality of digits to a first format yielding a converted string of digits automatically using a first computerized process;

dividing said first format into a plurality of first and second alternating n-bit data structures automatically using a second computerized process;

adding first fixed values to said plurality of first alternating n-bit data structures automatically using a third computerized process;

subtracting second fixed values from said plurality of second alternating n-bit data structures and borrowing from an adjacent segment when necessary automatically using a fourth computerized process;

converting said plurality of first and second alternating n-bit data structures to a second format automatically using a fifth computerized process;

performing a cryptographic hash to said second format automatically using a sixth computerized process; and

storing one or more results of said cryptographic hash on a computer readable storage apparatus for use in said anonymous data collection.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein n=32.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein said at least one unique identifier data element associated with said at least one subscriber device comprises a media access control (MAC) address associated with said at least one subscriber device.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein said at least one unique identifier data element associated with said first one of said plurality of households comprises a concatenation of a customer identifier and a division identifier.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein said first format comprises a hexadecimal representation and said second format comprises American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) character representation.

17. An apparatus configured to anonymize data collected in a data collection system of a content delivery network, said apparatus comprising:

an interface;

a storage apparatus; and

a processor configured to execute at least one computer program thereon, said computer program comprising a plurality of instructions which are configured to, when executed:

obtain a unique identifier data element for at least one client device of a particular user of a network via said interface;

convert said unique identifier data element to a first converted format, said first converted format comprising a first converted string of digits automatically using a first computerized process;

divide said first converted string of digits into a plurality of odd n-bit segments alternating with a plurality of even n-bit segments automatically using a second computerized process;

add a first fixed value to said plurality of even n-bit segments automatically using a third computerized process, and when overflow bits are present, carry said overflow bits to a first adjacent odd segment automatically using a fourth computerized process to generate an adjusted plurality of even n-bit segments;

subtract a second fixed value from said plurality of odd n-bit segments automatically using a fifth computerized process, and when said second fixed value exceeds a value of specific ones of said plurality of odd n-bit segments, borrow from a second adjacent even segment automatically using a sixth computerized process to generate an adjusted plurality of odd n-bit segments;

convert said adjusted plurality of odd n-bit segments and said adjusted plurality of even n-bit segments to a second converted format automatically using a seventh computerized process; and

apply a cryptographic hash to said second converted format automatically using an eighth computerized process.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein said plurality of instructions are further configured to:

determine a demographic or geographic identifier associated with said at least one client device of said particular user;

combine said unique identifier data element for said at least one client device of said particular user and said demographic or geographic identifier to generate a combined unique identifier data element and said demographic or geographic identifier; and

create said first converted format from said combined unique identifier data element and said demographic or geographic identifier.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein said first converted string of digits comprises a hexadecimal representation of said unique identifier data element.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein:

said plurality of odd n-bit segments and said plurality of even n-bit segments comprise 32 bit segments;

said second converted format comprises American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) character representation; and

said cryptographic hash comprises a Message-Digest algorithm 5 (MD5) cryptographic hash.

21. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein said unique identifier data element of said at least one client device of said particular user comprises information relating to a geographic location to which said particular user belongs.

22. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein said unique identifier data element of said at least one client device of said particular user comprises information which is unique to an individual one of a plurality of client devices associated with said particular user.

23. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein said anonymized collected data comprises one or more tuning event data records, comprising at least one of: a tune in event and a tune out event.