Method of determining broadband content usage within a system

Abstract

An end user network access point monitors and collects usage statistics associated with all content accessed by the end user devices through the access point. One or more external control servers collect the usage statistics from each access point, thereby compiling macro-level statistics related to content accessed by the end user devices. The one or more external control servers can be co-located with the network equipment of the broadband infrastructure provider, or the one or more external control servers can be independent of the broadband infrastructure.

1 . An apparatus to collect usage statistics related to data provided to one or more end user devices, the apparatus comprising:
 a. a controller to access one or more data streams having a first quality of service that is applied to all of the data streams transmitted over a transmission infrastructure, wherein the controller receives a request for specific data from an end user device, to selectively apply a second quality of service to the data stream and to selectively transmit one of the one or more data streams to the end user device according to the request wherein the first quality of service is different than the second quality of service.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a transceiver configured for wireless or wired network communications. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the apparatus comprises a wired router or a wireless router. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the apparatus comprises a wired modem or a wireless modem. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the apparatus comprises a wireless access point. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the apparatus comprises a broadband network access point. 
     
     
         7 . A system to collect usage statistics related to data provided to a plurality of end user devices, the system comprising:
 a. a plurality of end user network access points, wherein each end user network access point comprises a controller to access one or more data streams, wherein the controller receives a request for specific data from an end user device, to selectively apply a second quality of service to the data stream and to selectively transmit one of the one or more data streams to the end user device according to the request; and   b. a transmission infrastructure having a first quality of service that is applied to all of the data streams transmitted over the infrastructure;   
       wherein the first quality of service is different than the second quality of service. 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7  wherein the end user device comprises one of a computer, a television, a telephone, a personal digital assistant, and music players/recorders. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 7  wherein the end user device is coupled to a first network access point by a wireless connection or by a wired connection. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 7  wherein a first end user network access point comprises a wired router or a wireless router. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 7  wherein a first end user network access point comprises a wired modem or a wireless modem. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 7  wherein a first end user network access point comprises a wireless access point. 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A method of collecting usage statistics related to data provided to a plurality of end user devices, the method comprising:
 a. accessing one or more data streams having a first quality of service that is applied to all of the data streams by a local end user network access point;   b. receiving a request for specific data from an end user device by the local end user network access point;
 selectively applying a second quality of service to the data stream, wherein the first quality of service is different than the second quality of service; and 
   c. selectively transmitting one of the one or more data streams to the end user device according to the request.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the controller applies the second quality of service to the data stream independent of a data provider. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the controller applies the second quality of service to the data stream based on the data. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the controller applies the second quality of service to the data stream based on a data provider, the data and data characteristics. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the data streams comprise voice data. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the data streams comprise broadband content. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 20  wherein the broadband content comprises at least one of fixed broadband and mobile broadband. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the data streams comprise secured content. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the data streams comprise unsecured content. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the data streams comprise streaming video. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 7  wherein the controller applies the second quality of service to the data stream independent of a data provider. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 7  wherein the controller applies the second quality of service to the data stream based on the data. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 7  wherein the controller applies the second quality of service to the data stream based on a data provider, the data and data characteristics. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 7  wherein the data streams comprise voice data. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 7  wherein the data streams comprise broadband content. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 29  wherein the broadband content comprises at least one of fixed broadband and mobile broadband. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 7  wherein the data streams comprise secured content. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 7  wherein the data streams comprise unsecured content. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 7  wherein the data streams comprise streaming video. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the second quality of service is applied to the data stream independent of a data provider. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the second quality of service is applied to the data stream based on the data. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the second quality of service is applied to the data stream based on a data provider, the data and data characteristics. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the data streams comprise voice data. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the data streams comprise broadband content. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38  wherein the broadband content comprises at least one of fixed broadband and mobile broadband. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the data streams comprise secured content. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the data streams comprise unsecured content. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the data streams comprise streaming video.