Method and system for multicast statistic collection

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.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein an end point device recipient joining the multicast group sends a message to the downstream routers using a multicast group membership discovery protocol.

3. The method claim 1 , wherein the data collection device is a component of the encoder device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the collecting of statistical data from the routers is based, at least in part, on a multicast distribution tree of recipients.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the collected statistical data is comprised of at least one of subnet addresses and network addresses of end point devices that received the data stream.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the encoder device in cooperation with the data collection device are involved with all of the collected data analysis and processing.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the encoder device in cooperation with the data collection device are involved with only some of the collected data analysis and processing.

8. A system for gathering statistical information regarding a data stream, the system comprising:

a data forwarding device for forwarding the data stream from a media source over a network of routers for delivery to multicast group recipients, the data stream being sent as an internet protocol multicast data stream to a multicast group using an internet protocol, the multicast group comprising the multicast group recipients, the multicast group recipients comprising end point devices, the data forwarding device not being a router;

a plurality of routers of the network downstream of the forwarding device to route the multicast data stream to the multicast group; and

a collection device to collect statistical data from the routers actively involved in delivery of the data stream to the multicast group recipients to determine a number of recipients that received the multicast data stream, each of the routers being polled, queried, monitored, or otherwise viewed for the collection of data processed or available at the router, the collection device not being one of the routers; and

the forwarding device in cooperation with the collection device being involved with some or all of the collected data analysis and processing of that collected data to ascertain statistical data regarding 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 and wherein the data forwarding device and data collection device are arranged outside of the network of routers.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the forwarding device is an encoder device and the collection device is a component of the encoder device and wherein the encoder device in cooperation with the collection device being involved with all of the collected data analysis and processing of that collected data to ascertain statistical data regarding recipients of the multicast data stream.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the forwarding device is an encoder device and the collection device is a component of the encoder device.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the collecting of statistical data from the first router downstream is based, at least in part, on a multicast distribution tree of recipients.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the collected statistical data is comprised of at least one of subnet addresses and network addresses of end point devices that received the data stream.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the collection device is a component of the forwarding device.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the forwarding device in cooperation with the collection device are involved with all of the collected data analysis and processing of that collected data to ascertain statistical data regarding recipients of the multicast data stream.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the multicast data stream is one of: (a) video obtained using analog or video capture equipment, (b) satellite communications, and (c) television broadcasts.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multicast data stream is one of: (a) video obtained using analog or video capture equipment, (b) satellite communications, and (c) at least one television broadcast.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data collection device is upstream of the at least one router of the network from which the data collection device collects statistical data.

18. The system of claim 8 wherein the collection device is upstream of the first router of the network.

19. 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;

collecting statistical data by a data collection device from the 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 is polled, queried, monitored, or otherwise viewed for the collection of data processed or available at the router and wherein the data collection device and the encoder are outside of the network of 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 receive the data stream, wherein the encoder device in cooperation with the data collection device are involved with all of the collected data analysis and processing.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the data collection device is a component of the encoder device.