Media data usage measurement and reporting systems and methods

1. A computer-implemented method for gathering data reflecting usage of media data by a user within a user system, comprising the steps of:

receiving a plurality of media data in the user system, said user system comprising a processing device serving to process and present the media data locally to the user, said media data being received from one of a network source external to the user system, and a source local to the user system;

using each of a plurality of media data usage gathering objects running on the user system to collect data reflecting usage of at least one of (1) a respectively different portion of the plurality of media data received by the user system, and (2) a user agent for the plurality of media data received by the user system, wherein each of the media usage gathering objects are configured to collect the data reflecting usage and to produce media usage data regardless whether the media data was received from the network source or the source local to the user system;

encapsulating the produced media usage data in at least one of the plurality of media data usage gathering objects;

using at least one of a plurality of session objects to merge predetermined ones of the plurality of media data usage gathering objects corresponding to at least one of a respective (a) user session and (b) RCL session; and

producing a report comprising at least one of the plurality of session objects with the use of a report object, wherein one or more session objects are selected and merged into the report object.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising the step of providing a reporting system for generating a macro report based upon the report object.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein the report object is serialized, compressed, and encrypted for transmission to the reporting system.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 wherein the transmitted report object is reconstituted by the reporting system.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein the reporting system generates the macro report based upon selected criteria.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein the macro-report is generated based upon predetermined parameters of a requesting system.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein the reporting system is located remotely from the user system.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 wherein the remote reporting system communicates with the user system over the network from which the plurality of media data are received.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 wherein the remote reporting system is selected from the group consisting of: a central processing station, a remote server, a local server, or peer-to-peer architecture.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of media data usage gathering objects preprocesses collected data.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of media data usage gathering objects preprocesses the collected data by selecting the media data based upon predetermined criteria.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the session object encapsulates demographic data of the user in the user session and/or RCL session.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 wherein the demographic data is selected from the group consisting of: operating systems, user system machines, browser types, player applications, age of user, gender of user, and/or the geographic location of the user.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 wherein the session object includes and relates the data gathered by the media data usage gathering objects and the demographic data.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the media data is received on a continuous basis.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the user session reflects usage of media data on a continuous basis.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the media data comprises streaming media.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of media data usage gathering objects serves to gather usage data for a single predetermined category of media data.

19. A user system for gathering data reflecting usage of media data by a user, comprising:

a hardware processing device serving to process and present the media data locally to the user, said media data being received from one of a network source external to the user system and a source local to the user system;

a plurality of media data usage gathering objects, each for collecting data reflecting usage of at least one of (1) a respectively different portion of a plurality of media data received by the user, and (2) a user agent for a plurality of media received by the user, wherein each of the media usage gathering objects are configured to collect the data reflecting usage and to produce media usage data regardless whether the media data was received from the network source or the source local to the user systems, and wherein the produced media usage data is encapsulated in at least one of the plurality of media data usage gathering object;

at least one of a plurality of session objects to merge predetermined ones of the plurality of media data usage gathering objects corresponding to at least one of (a) a respective user session and (b) a respective RCL session; and

a report object to produce a report comprising at least one of the plurality of session objects, wherein the report object merges a selected one or more of the plurality of session objects into itself.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein each of the plurality of media data usage gathering objects serves to gather usage data for a single predetermined category of media data.

21. The system of claim 19 further comprising a reporting system for generating a macro report based upon the reporting object.

22. The system of claim 19 wherein the media data usage gathering objects preprocess the media usage data.

23. The system of claim 19 wherein the media data usage gathering objects preprocess the selected media usage data based upon predetermined criteria.

24. The system of claim 19 wherein the session object encapsulates qualitative data.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the session object includes and relates media usage data and qualitative data.

26. The system of claim 19 wherein the media data comprises streaming media.

27. A computer-implemented method for gathering data reflecting usage of media data by a user, comprising the steps of:

receiving a plurality of media data in a user system comprising a processing device serving to display the media data locally to the user, wherein the plurality of media data are received from one of a network source external to the user system, and a source local to the user system;

using each of a plurality of media data usage gathering objects running on the user system to collect and preprocess usage data reflecting usage of at least one of (1) a respectively different portion of the plurality of media data, and (2) a user agent for the plurality of media data received from the network by the user system, wherein the collecting step comprises the step of selecting the usage data based on predetermined criteria, and wherein the usage data is configured to be collected regardless of whether the media data is received from the network source or a source local to the user system;

encapsulating usage data in at least one of the plurality of media data usage gathering objects;

a session object merging predetermined ones of the plurality of media data usage gathering objects corresponding to a respective user session and/or RCL session, wherein the session object encapsulate demographic data of the user in the user session and/or RCL session;

using a micro-level reporting object running on the user system to gather usage data from the plurality of media data usage gathering objects by merging the session object into itself, the usage data being preprocessed by the user system to associate the usage data with at least one of (a) demographic data of a user or users of the media data, (b) one or more RCL sessions, (c) one or more user sessions, (d) user-specific data, and (e) system data; and

using an object transmission process running on the user system for communicating the micro-level reporting object to a reporting system over the network for producing reports concerning usage of media data.

28. The computer-implemented method of claim 27 wherein one or more session objects are selected and merged into the micro-level reporting object.

29. The computer-implemented method of claim 27 further comprising the step of providing a reporting system for generating a macro report based upon the micro-level reporting object.

30. The computer-implemented method of claim 29 wherein the micro-level reporting object is serialized, compressed, and encrypted for communication to the reporting system.

31. The computer-implemented method of claim 30 wherein the communicated micro-level reporting object is reconstituted by the reporting system.

32. The computer-implemented method of claim 29 wherein the reporting system generates the macro report based upon selected criteria.

33. The computer-implemented method of claim 29 wherein the macro-report is generated based upon predetermined parameters of a requesting system.

34. The computer-implemented method of claim 29 wherein the reporting system is located remotely from the user system.

35. The computer-implemented method of claim 34 wherein the remote reporting system communicates with the user system over a network from which the plurality of media data are received.

36. The computer-implemented method of claim 35 wherein the remote reporting system comprises at least one of a central processing station, a remote server, a local server, or peer-to-peer architecture.

37. The computer-implemented method of claim 27 wherein the demographic data comprises data identifying at least one of operating systems, user system machines, browser types, player applications, age of user, gender of user, and/or the geographic location of the user.

38. The computer-implemented method of claim 27 wherein the session object includes and relates the data gathered by the media data usage gathering objects and the demographic data.

39. The computer-implemented method of claim 27 wherein the media data is received on a continuous basis.

40. The computer-implemented method of claim 27 wherein the user session reflects usage of media data on a continuous basis.

41. The computer-implemented method of claim 27 wherein the media data comprises streaming media.

42. The computer-implemented method of claim 27 wherein each of the plurality of media data usage gathering objects serves to gather usage data for a single predetermined category of media data.

43. A system for gathering data reflecting usage of media data by a user, comprising:

a user system, comprising a hardware processing device serving to process and present the media data locally to the user, wherein the media data is received from one of a network source external to the user system and a source local to the user system;

a plurality of media data usage gathering objects running on the user system, wherein each media data usage gathering object collects and preprocesses usage data, reflecting at least one of (1) usage of a respectively different portion of a plurality of media data received by the user system, and (2) a user agent for a plurality of media data received by the user system, by selecting the usage data based on predetermined criteria, wherein the media data usage gathering objects are configured to collect and preprocess usage data regardless of whether the media data was received from the network source or the source local to the user system;

encapsulating usage data in at least one of the plurality of media data usage gathering objects;

at least one of a plurality of session objects merging predetermined ones of the plurality of media data usage gathering objects corresponding to a respective user session and/or RCL session, wherein at least one of the plurality of session objects encapsulate qualitative data;

a micro-level reporting object running on the user system to gather usage data from the plurality of media data usage gathering objects by merging a selected one or more of the plurality of session objects into itself, the usage data being preprocessed by the user system to associate the usage data with at least one of (a) data demographic data of one or more users of the media data, (b) one or more RCL sessions, (c) one or more user sessions, (d) user-specific data, and (e) system data; and

an object transmission process running on the user system for communicating the microlevel reporting object to a reporting system over a network for producing reports relating to usage of the media data.

44. The system of claim 43 wherein each of the plurality of media data usage gathering objects serves to gather usage data for a single predetermined category of media data.

45. The system of claim 43 further comprising a reporting system for generating a macro report based upon the micro-level reporting object.

46. The system of claim 43 wherein at least one of the plurality of session objects includes and relates media usage data and qualitative data.

47. The system of claim 43 wherein the media data comprises streaming media.