Methods and apparatus for centralized and decentralized alert messaging

• US 10,462,534 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2016
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gould, Kenneth, Sarosi, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, John B
• Application Number:
  US15/043,354
• Publication Number:
  US 20160241930A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/005 with transmission via computer network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/814 comprising emergency warnings arrangements specially adapted for emergency or urgency in broadcast systems H04H20/59; arrangements for providing alarms, notifications, alerts to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8146 involving graphical data, e.g. 3D object, 2D graphics
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for providing emergency alert system (EAS) data to subscribers of a content-based network for multiple locations including via mobile devices. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a server performing real-time receipt and encapsulation of the EAS data, transport of the EAS data to client devices over an IP or other packet-switched network, and use of applications running on the client devices to decode and display the EAS data. In one variant, a centralized EAS (CEAS) entity is used to aggregate and distribute EAS messages to video registration servers (VRS), which use stored client device data and user preferences to map delivery of relevant EAMs over the IP network. In another variant, instant messaging (IM) infrastructure is used to deliver and display at least portion of the EAS data via a separate transport process.

Claims

1. A computerized client device adapted for use within an Internet protocol (IP) network, said computerized client device comprising:

a receiver apparatus comprising a communication interface adapted to receive streaming Internet Protocol (IP) media content originated from a source within said IP network;

a decoder apparatus comprising a decoder adapted to decode said streaming IP media content;

a data interface comprising a user interface configured to provide data for rendering said streaming IP media content to a content rendering apparatus; and

a processor apparatus adapted to execute a streaming IP media delivery application, said streaming IP media delivery application configured to;

register with a network entity, said registration including a transmission of information identifying at least one location other than a location which said computerized client device is located;

while said streaming IP media content is being received and decoded, receive alert data relating to said identified at least one other location based at least in part on said registration, said alert data received in a format which enables other data to be inserted therein or added thereto at said computerized client device, said insertion or addition enabled based on a particular subscriber level that is associated with said computerized client device;

decode said alert data; and

provide said decoded alert data to said content rendering apparatus via at least said data interface.

2. The computerized client device of claim 1, wherein:

said receipt and said decode of said alert data occurs concurrently with said receipt and said decode of at least a portion of said streaming IP media content; and

said streaming IP media delivery application is further configured to;

insert or add said other data in or to said alert data; and

provide said decoded portion of said streaming IP media content and said decoded alert data comprising said other data to said content rendering apparatus for rendering of said decoded alert data and/or said other data concurrently with said decoded portion of said streaming IP media content.

3. The computerized client device of claim 2, wherein said provision of said decoded portion of said streaming IP media content and said decoded alert data to said content rendering apparatus causes said content rendering apparatus to render said decoded alert data as an overlay on said decoded portion of said streaming IP media content.

4. The computerized client device of claim 2, wherein said provision of said decoded portion of said streaming IP media content and said decoded alert data to said content rendering apparatus causes said content rendering apparatus to render said decoded alert data and said decoded portion of said streaming IP media content in one or more particular areas of a display screen.

5. The computerized client device of claim 1, wherein said streaming IP media delivery application is configured to provide said decoded alert data to said content rendering apparatus in place of said streaming IP media content.

6. The computerized client device of claim 5, wherein said streaming IP media delivery application is configured to:

cease said decode of said streaming IP media content based at least on said receipt of said alert data; and

resume said decode of said streaming IP media content after completion of said provision of said decoded alert data to said content rendering apparatus.

7. The computerized client device of claim 1, wherein said streaming IP media delivery application is configured to, based at least on said receipt of said alert data, disable one or more functionalities of said streaming IP media delivery application until after completion of said provision of said decoded alert data to said content rendering apparatus.

8. The computerized client device of claim 1, wherein:

said network entity comprises a computerized registration entity within a managed cable television, terrestrial or satellite network having a plurality of subscribers; and

said registration comprises (i) registration via said computerized registration entity and (ii) a transmission of information associating said computerized client device with at least one subscriber account.

9. A computerized client device for use with an Internet protocol (IP) network, said computerized client device comprising:

a receiver apparatus comprising a communication interface configured to receive streaming Internet Protocol (IP) media content from a source within said IP network;

a data interface comprising a user interface configured to provide data for rendering said streaming IP media content to a display device; and

a processor apparatus configured to execute at least one computer program, said at least one computer program configured to, when executed on said processor apparatus;

receive information indicative of a network resource, said network resource configured to provide said streaming IP media content;

transmit data representative of a request to said network resource for said streaming IP media content, said request comprising information associating said computerized client device with at least one user account for access of said streaming IP media content, said user account including information specifying one or more locations;

receive and decode said streaming IP media content;

provide said decoded streaming IP media content to said display device for presentation to a user;

receive alert data relating to said one or more locations specified by said information included in said user account, and decode said alert data; and

provide said decoded alert data to said display device to cause said display device to present said decoded alert data on said display device concurrent with at least a portion of said IP media content;

wherein said decoded alert data is of a first priority level, said first priority level requiring said decoded alert data to have a higher quality-of-service (QoS) than alert data of a second priority level, said second priority level comprising a priority lower than said first priority level; and

wherein said decoded alert data being of said first priority level is based at least on said computerized client device or said display device being physically located at said one or more locations, and said second priority level is applied to alert data distributed to any computerized client devices associated with said user that are not physically located at said one or more locations.

10. The computerized client device of claim 9, wherein said at least one computer program is further configured to, when executed on said processor apparatus:

receive information identifying another network resource, said another network resource configured to provide said alert data; and

wherein said receipt of said alert data comprises retrieval of said alert data from said another network resource.

11. The computerized client device of claim 9, wherein said at least one computer program is further configured to, when executed on said processor apparatus:

transmit data associated with said one or more locations to said network resource.

12. The computerized client device of claim 9, wherein said at least one computer program is further configured to, when executed on said processor apparatus:

cause said computerized client device to register with a computerized network entity within an operator-managed content delivery network, said computerized network entity having access to a subscriber database of said operator-managed content delivery network, said registration comprising association of said computerized client device with said user account for said operator-managed content delivery network.

13. A computerized method for presenting alert data to a user via use of a content delivery network, said computerized method comprising:

causing registration of a computerized client device with a registration entity within said content delivery network, said registration comprising a transmission of data, the data associating said computerized client device with at least one subscriber account associated with said user, said subscriber account specifying one or more locations;

receiving digitally rendered content from a source within said content delivery network;

providing streaming IP data to a display device for presentation to said user, said streaming IP data comprising an encoded version of said digitally rendered content;

receiving alert data while said digitally rendered content is being received; and

providing said alert data as at least a portion of said streaming IP data to said display device for presentation to said user;

wherein;

said alert data comprises alert data of a first priority level, said first priority level requiring said alert data to have a higher quality-of-service (QoS) than alert data of a second priority level, said second priority level comprising a priority lower than said first priority level; and

said alert data being of said first priority level is based at least on said computerized client device or said display device being physically located at said one or more locations, and said second priority level is applied to alert data distributed to any computerized client devices that are not physically located at said one or more locations.

14. The computerized method of claim 13, wherein:

said receiving of said digitally rendered content comprises receiving said digitally rendered content in a first format; and

said computerized method further comprises encoding said digitally rendered content into a second format to produce said encoded version of said digitally rendered content, said second format being different than said first format.

15. The computerized method of claim 13, wherein:

said receiving of said alert data comprises receiving said alert data in a first format; and

said computerized method further comprises encoding said alert data into a second format to produce an encoded version of said alert data, said second format being identical to said first format.

16. The computerized method of claim 13, wherein said specifying of said one or more locations comprises specifying a plurality of waypoints along a route, said plurality of waypoints along said route comprising locations said user intends to travel through.

17. The computerized method of claim 13, wherein said receiving of said alert data comprises receiving said alert data via a multicast or broadcast delivery mechanism in an Internet protocol television (IPTV) network.

18. The computerized method of claim 13, further comprising:

causing rendering of video and audio data according to a prescribed standard, wherein said alert data comprises said video and audio data transcoded by a computerized server apparatus of said content delivery network to a format (i) usable by said computerized client device and (ii) compatible with said prescribed standard.

19. The computerized method of claim 13, wherein said providing of said alert data as at least said portion of said streaming IP data to said display device comprises causing said display device to render said alert data and said portion of said streaming IP data in particular areas of a display screen.

20. The computerized method of claim 13, wherein said providing of said alert data as at least said portion of said streaming IP data to said display device comprises causing said display device to render said alert data as an overlay on said portion of said streaming IP data.