Methods, systems and apparatus for selectively distributing urgent public information

• US 10,362,468 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2013
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Phillips, Bruce A., Casey, Steven M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Goodarzi, Nasser M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ryan, Patrick A
• Application Number:
  US13/915,930
• Publication Number:
  US 20130273962A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,232 Days
• Field of Search: 725 32, 725 33, 725 34, 725 35, 725 36, 725 74, 725 80, 725133, 725141, 379 40, 4554041, 455521, 340 748, 34053928, 340540
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/005 with transmission via computer network
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/006 with transmission via telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/008 with transmission via TV or radio broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/005 Interface circuits for subscriber lines current supply H04M19/00 and subgroups; supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements H04M3/22 and subgroups; in key telephone systems H04M9/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/1739 the upstream communication being transmitted via a separate link, e.g. telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234363 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for clients with a lower screen resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4886 : for displaying a ticker, e.g. scrolling banner for news, stock exchange, weather data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 : directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 : Transmission by the client directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 : Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 : Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 : for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/108 : the cable being constituted by a pair of wires
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/141 : between two video terminals, e.g. videophone telephonic communication systems combined with television receiver for reception of entertainment or information matter H04M11/085
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 : Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide apparatuses, systems and methods for distributing public information. For example, some embodiments of the invention provide methods for determining an appropriate set of addresses to which to distribute an alert. One such exemplary method comprises maintaining a directory of alert gateways. The directory can comprise a plurality of directory entries, and each directory entry can be associated with a particular alert gateway. Each directory entry can also comprise at least one gateway characteristic associated with that alert gateway. In some cases, a gateway characteristic can include information to enable the alert distribution device to determine whether a given alert should be transmitted to the alert gateway.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, with an alert gateway device located at a customer premises and associated with at least two subscribers, an alert message from an alert distribution device;

determining, with the alert gateway device, at least one first device communicatively coupled to the alert gateway device within the customer premises and associated with at least one subscriber from the at least two subscribers to deliver the alert message based at least in part on subscriber preferences and based at least in part on at least one of alert information or event information contained within the alert message;

sending, with the alert gateway device, the alert message to the at least one first device associated with the at least one subscriber;

receiving, with the alert gateway, a first confirmation message confirming the at least one first device has received the alert message from the at least one first device associated with the at least one subscriber; and

sending, with the alert gateway device, a second confirmation message to the alert distribution device indicating a subscriber has received the alert when the first confirmation is received.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending, with the alert gateway device, a confirmation message confirming the alert gateway device has received the alert message to the alert distribution device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, with the alert gateway device, at least one of an audible alarm or a visual alarm when the alert message is received.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

converting, with the alert gateway device, the alert message from a first format to a second format for delivery to the at least one first device associated with the at least one subscriber.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first format is a video message containing closed captioning content, the method further comprising:

extracting, with the alert gateway device, the closed captioning information from the video message; and

converting, with the alert gateway device, the video message to at least one of an email message or a text message using the closed captioning information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first confirmation message is sent by the at least one first device when the at least one first device receives the alert message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first confirmation is sent by the at least one first device when the at least one subscriber confirms viewing the alert message.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, with the alert gateway device, whether a confirmation message confirming the at least one first device has been received from the at least one first device associated with the at least one subscriber; and

based on a determination that a confirmation message has not been received;

retransmitting, with the alert gateway device, the alert message.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein retransmitting the alert message comprises:

determining, with the alert gateway device, one or more additional devices associated with the at least one subscriber that are different from the at least one first device; and

retransmitting, with the alert gateway device, the alert message to the one or more additional devices that are different from the at least one first device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending, with the alert gateway device, the alert message to plurality devices associated with the at least one subscriber;

receiving, with the alert gateway device, a confirmation message from at least one of the plurality devices; and

based on the reception of the confirmation message from that at least one of the plurality of devices, cancelling, with the alert gateway device, the alert message for the other of the plurality of devices.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, with the alert gateway device, whether the alert message has expired; and

based on a determination that the alert message has expired, cancelling, with the alert gateway device, the alert message for the at least one first device associated with the at least one subscriber.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, with the alert gateway device, an urgency of the alert message; and

based in part on a determination of the urgency of the alert message, determining, with the alert gateway device, the at least one first device associated with the at least one subscriber to send the alert message.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, with the alert gateway device, an urgency of the alert message; and

based in part on a determination that the alert message is urgent, sending, with the alert gateway device, the alert message to all devices associated with the at least one subscriber.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, with the alert gateway device, a time of day; and

based in part on a determination of the time of day, determining, with the alert gateway device, the at least one first device associated with the at least one subscriber to send the alert message.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscriber preferences include at least one of types of alerts the at least two subscribers would like to receive or devices where the at least two subscribers would like to receive the alert message.

16. An alert gateway device, the alert gateway device comprising:

at least one interface in communication with a communication network;

a processor in communication with the at least one interface; and

a non-transitory storage medium in communication with the processor, the storage medium comprising instructions executable by the processor to;

receive an alert message from an alert distribution device;

determine at least one first device communicatively coupled to the alert gateway device within a customer premises and associated with at least one subscriber from at least two subscribers to deliver the alert message based at least in part on a subscriber preference and based at least in part on at least one of alert information or event information contained within the alert message;

send the alert message to the at least one first device at least one subscriber;

wherein the alert gateway is located at the customer premises and is associated with the at least one subscriber;

receive, with the alert gateway, a first confirmation message confirming the at least one first device has received the alert message from the at least one first device associated with the at least one subscriber; and

send, with the alert gateway device, a second confirmation message to the alert distribution device indicating a subscriber has received the alert when the first confirmation is received.

17. The alert gateway device of claim 16, wherein the subscriber preferences include at least one of types of alerts the at least two subscribers would like to receive or devices where the at least two subscribers would like to receive the alert message.

18. A system comprising:

a plurality of alert gateway devices configured to receive an alert from an alert distribution device, each of the plurality of alert gateway devices being located at a subscriber premises of one of a plurality of subscribers, being associated with at least two subscribers, and providing communication with one or more communication devices associated with at least one subscriber of the two subscribers, each of the alert gateways comprising;

at least one interface in communication with the network;

a processor in communication with the at least one interface; and

a storage medium in communication with the processor, the storage medium comprising instructions executable by the processor to;

receive an alert message from the alert distribution device;

determine at least one first device communicatively coupled to the alert gateway device within the subscriber premises and associated with at least one subscriber from at least two subscribers to deliver the alert message based at least in part on a subscriber preference and based at least in part on at least one of alert information or event information contained within the alert message;

send the alert message to the at least one first device at least one subscriber;

receive, with the alert gateway, a first confirmation message confirming the at least one first device has received the alert message from the at least one first device associated with the at least one subscriber; and

send, with the alert gateway device, a second confirmation message to the alert distribution device indicating a subscriber has received the alert when the first confirmation is received.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the subscriber preferences include at least one of types of alerts the at least two subscribers would like to receive or devices where the at least two subscribers would like to receive the alert message.