Methods and apparatus for providing notifications in a media system

• US 20070210908A1
• Filed: 12/27/2005
• Published: 09/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Solutions Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Putterman, Daniel, Dietrich, Brad, Peters, Gregory, Bullwinkle, Richard, Dykeman, Kim
• Granted Patent: US 7,768,388 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/506
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/00 Alarm systems in which the alarm condition is signalled from a central station to a plurality of substations
• 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

Abstract

A system to convey user alert messages is disclosed. The system may have a alert service coupled between alert providers and a number of households. After receiving in the alert service an alert message from an alert provider, the alert service may alter the alert message to identify the household designated to receive the alert message. The alert service sends a notification to a home media system within the household designated to receive the alert message.

Claims

1. In a system having an alert service connected with a plurality of alert providers and a plurality of households, a method to convey alert messages, comprising:

receiving at the alert service an alert message from an alert provider;

determining one or more households designated to receive the alert message; and

sending the alert message to the one or more households designated to receive the alert message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the household comprises a digital media adaptor (DMA) connected with the alert service and a display device connected with the DMA, the operation of the DMA being configured by settings inputted by a user, the method further comprising:

determining that the user settings permit the DMA to pass information regarding alert messages to the display device; and

displaying the user alert message on the display device.

3. The method of claim 2, the method further comprising:

before displaying the user alert message, determining that the user settings permit the DMA to automatically display user alert messages on the display device,

wherein the user alert message is displayed on the display device without requiring further user input.

4. The method of claim 2, the method further comprising:

before displaying the user alert message, determining that the user settings do not permit the DMA to automatically display user alert messages on the display device;

displaying an icon representing the user alert message on the display device; and

receiving an input from the user to display the user alert message.

5. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

altering the alert message prior to sending the user alert message to the one or more designated households.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein altering the alert message comprises:

assigning an interruption type to the alert message that determines a manner in which the alert message is announced.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the interruption type is at least one of:

no interruption, a box light interruption, an icon notification interruption, and text message interruption.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein altering the alert message comprises:

assigning an alert severity level to the alert message.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein altering the alert message comprises:

adding or removing content of the received alert message.

10. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon when executed convey alert messages in a system having an alert service connected with a plurality of alert providers and a plurality of households, the computer program product comprising sets of instructions for:

receiving an alert message from an alert provider;

determining one or more households designated to receive the alert message; and

sending the user alert message to the one or more household designated to receive the alert message.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising a set of instructions for:

altering the alert message prior to sending the alert message to the one or more designated households.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the set of instructions for altering the alert message comprises a set of instructions for:

assigning an interruption type to the alert message that determines a manner in which the alert message is announced.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the interruption type is at least one of:

no interruption, a box light interruption, an icon notification interruption, and text message interruption.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the set of instructions for altering the alert message comprises a set of instructions for:

assigning an alert severity level to the alert message.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the set of instructions for altering the alert message comprises a set of instructions for:

adding or removing content of the received alert message.

16. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising a set of instructions for:

after receiving the alert message from the alert provider, authenticating that the alert message is from a trusted source.

17. An alert message distribution system, comprising:

an alert service configured for being in communication with at least one alert provider, for receiving an alert message from the at least one alert provider, and for sending the user alert message to a digital media adaptor (DMA), the DMA being configured for being in communication with the alert service;

the DMA configured for being in communication with a media device to pass information regarding the alert message to the media device; and

the media device configured for displaying the user alert message.

18. The alert distribution system of claim 17, wherein:

the media device comprises a television or other display device configured to display video content or a running application; and

the DMA configures the user alert message to overlay the video content or running application displayed on the display device.

19. The alert distribution system of claim 17, wherein the operation of the DMA is configured by settings inputted by a user, the settings comprising settings that permit or do not permit the DMA to pass information regarding the user alert messages to the display device.

20. The alert distribution system of claim 19, wherein the settings further comprise settings that permit or do not permit the DMA to automatically display alert messages on the display device without requiring further user input.

21. The alert distribution system of claim 20, wherein:

the DMA is further configured to display the user alert messages on the display device after receiving a selection input from the user if the settings do not permit the DMA to automatically display alert messages on the display device.