Media program viewership measurement using blockchains

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and system for measuring consumption of content data having content for serially presentation is presented. The method comprises generating n random numbers, where n>0, generating a first value P 1 at least in part from a cryptographic function of the n random numbers, publishing the first value P 1 to a smart contract associated with a blockchain, embedding consumption monitoring data comprising the n random numbers in different temporal locations of the content data and transmitting the content data to a client device for consumption. A client device extracts each of the n random and transmits the extracted n random numbers to the smart contract associated with the blockchain. A smart contract verifies that the n random numbers match the embedded n random numbers and executes a transaction of the smart contract.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of measuring consumption of content data having content for serially presentation, comprising:
 embedding consumption monitoring data in different temporal locations of the content data, the consumption monitoring data comprising random values;   transmitting the content data to a client device for consumption;   wherein the client device:
 extracts the random values only after a portion of the content data associated with a temporal location of the associated random values has been consumed; and 
 transmits the extracted random values to a smart contract associated with a blockchain; 
   wherein the smart contract:
 verifies that the transmitted extracted random values match the embedded random values; and 
 executes a transaction of the smart contract only if the transmitted extracted random values match the embedded random values. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 embedding consumption monitoring data in different temporal locations of the content data, comprises:
 generating n random numbers, where n>0; 
 embedding the consumption monitoring data comprising the n random numbers in the different temporal locations of the content data; 
   the method further comprises:
 generating a first value P 1  at least in part from a cryptographic function of the n random numbers; 
 publishing the first value P 1  to a smart contract associated with a blockchain; 
   wherein the client device:
 extracts each of the n random numbers only after the portion of the content data associated with the temporal location of the associated random number has been consumed; and 
 transmits the extracted n random numbers to the smart contract associated with the blockchain; 
   wherein the smart contract:
 verifies, that the transmitted extracted n random numbers match the embedded n random numbers from the published first value P 1  and a second value P 2  generated from the extracted n random numbers; and 
 executes the transaction of the smart contract only if the transmitted extracted n random numbers match the embedded n random numbers. 
   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the cryptographic function is a hash of a combination of the n random numbers. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the combination of the n random numbers is one of an exclusive OR of the n random numbers;
 a bitwise OR of the n random numbers;   a bitwise AND of the n random numbers; and   a concatenation of the n random numbers.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the serially presented content data comprises a transport stream including packets having an adaptation field; and   each of the n random numbers are embedded as private data of the adaptation field.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the serially presented content is coded chunks according to an HLS protocol, and one of the n random number is included in each chunk. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the extracted n random numbers are transmitted only after all of the n random numbers associated with the content have been extracted. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the extracted n random numbers are securely transmitted. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the consumption monitoring data further comprises a unique identifier of the content. 
     
     
         10 . A system for measuring consumption of content data having content for serially presentation, comprising:
 means for embedding consumption monitoring data in different temporal locations of the content data, the consumption monitoring data comprising random values;   means for transmitting the content data to a client device for consumption;   wherein the client device:
 extracts the random values only after a portion of the content data associated with a temporal location of the associated random number has been consumed an 
 transmits the extracted random values to a smart contract associated with a blockchain; 
   wherein the smart contract:
 verifies that the transmitted extracted random values match the embedded random values; and 
 executes a transaction of the smart contract only if the transmitted extracted random values match the embedded random values. 
   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein.
 the means for embedding consumption monitoring data in different temporal locations of the content data, comprises:
 means for generating n random numbers, where n>0; 
 means for embedding the consumption monitoring data comprising the n random numbers in the different temporal locations of the content data; 
   the system further comprises:
 means for generating a first value P 1  at least in part from a cryptographic function of the n random numbers; 
 means for publishing the first value P 1  to a smart contract associated with a blockchain; 
   wherein the client device:
 extracts each of the n random numbers only after the portion of the content data associated with the temporal location of the associated random number has been consumed; and 
 transmits the extracted n random numbers to the smart contract associated with the blockchain; 
   wherein the smart contract:
 verifies, that the transmitted extracted n random numbers match the embedded n random numbers from the published first value P 1  and a second value P 2  generated from the extracted n random numbers; and 
 executes the transaction of the smart contract only if the transmitted extracted n random numbers match the embedded n random numbers. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the cryptographic function is a hash of a combination of the n random numbers. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the combination of the n random numbers is one of
 an exclusive OR of the n random numbers;   a bitwise OR of the n random numbers;   a bitwise AND of the n random numbers; and   a concatenation of the n random numbers.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the serially presented content data comprises a transport stream including packets having an adaptation field; and   each of the n random numbers are embedded as private data of the adaptation field.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the serially presented content is coded chunks according to an HLS protocol, and one of the n random number is included in each chunk. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the extracted n random numbers are transmitted only after all of the n random numbers associated with the content have been extracted. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the extracted n random numbers are securely transmitted. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the consumption monitoring data further comprises a unique identifier of the content. 
     
     
         19 . A system for measuring consumption of content data having content for serially presentation, comprising:
 a content producer processor;   a content producer memory, communicatively coupled to the content producer processor, the content producer memory storing content producer instructions including instructions for:
 embedding consumption monitoring data in different temporal locations of the content data, the consumption monitoring data comprising random values; 
   a transmitter, for transmitting the content data to a client device for consumption;   wherein the client device:
 extracts the random values only after a portion of the content data associated with a temporal location of the associated random number has been consumed; and 
 transmits the extracted random values to a smart contract associated with a blockchain; 
   a verification processor;   a verification memory, storing verification processor instructions comprising instructions for:
 verifying that the transmitted extracted random values match the embedded random values; and 
 executing a transaction of the smart contract only if the transmitted extracted random values match the embedded random values. 
   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein:
 the content producer processor instructions for embedding the consumption monitoring data in the different temporal locations of the content data comprise content producer processor instructions for:
 generating n random numbers, where n>0; and 
 embedding the consumption monitoring data comprising the n random numbers in the different temporal locations of the content data; 
   the content producer processor instructions further comprise content producer processor instructions for:
 generating a first value P 1  at least in part from a cryptographic function of the n random numbers; 
 publishing the first value P 1  to a smart contract associated with a blockchain; 
   wherein the client device:
 extracts each of the n random numbers only after the portion of the content data associated with the temporal location of the associated random number has been consumed; and 
 transmits the extracted n random numbers to the smart contract associated with the blockchain; 
   wherein:
 the verification processor instructions for verifying that the transmitted extracted random values match the embedded random values comprise verification processor instructions for:
 verifying, that the transmitted extracted n random numbers match the embedded n random numbers from the published first value P 1  and a second value P 2  generated from the extracted n random numbers; and 
 
   the verification processor instructions for executing the transaction of the smart contract only if the transmitted extracted random values match the embedded random values comprise verification processor instructions for:
 automatically executing the transaction of the smart contract only if the transmitted extracted n random numbers match the embedded n random numbers.