METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR INITIATING AN EMERGENCY ALERT IN A BROADCAST SYSTEM

• US 20090228915A1
• Filed: 03/04/2008
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Luu, Trang V ., Zaldivar, Gilbert, Tronson, Jonathan L., Takamoto, Mark T., Nguyen, Dien V., Shimizu, Jason Y.
• Granted Patent: US 8,347,328 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/59 for emergency or urgency
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/06 Arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services

Abstract

A method and system for initiating an emergency alert in a broadcast system includes a broadcast operations channel management system providing a user alert user interface and determining guide channels eligible for an emergency alert. The broadcast operations channel management system sends a trigger to the traffic scheduling system and initiates an emergency alert event in response to the trigger.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating a user alert user interface from a broadcast operations channel management system;

determining guide channels eligible for an emergency alert;

sending a trigger from the broadcast operations channel management system to a traffic scheduling system; and

initiating an emergency alert event in response to the trigger.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising setting a test indicator at the user interface.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising setting a test channel and wherein initiating an emergency alert event comprises initiating the emergency alert event on the test channel.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising updating an alert log.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining guide channels eligible for an emergency alert comprises determining guide channels eligible for an emergency alert from a traffic scheduling system.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein initiating an emergency alert event in response to the trigger comprises initiating the emergency alert event in response to the trigger from the traffic and scheduling system.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising broadcasting the emergency alert event through a satellite.

8. A system comprising:

a broadcast operations channel management system providing a user alert user interface and determining guide channels eligible for an emergency alert;

said broadcast operations channel management system sending a trigger to the traffic scheduling system which initiates an emergency alert event in response to the trigger.

9. A system as recited in claim 8 wherein the user interface sets a test indicator at the user interface.

10. A system as recited in claim 8 wherein the user interface sets a test channel and wherein the emergency alert event is initiated on the test channel.

11. A system as recited in claim 8 further comprising an alert log.

12. A system as recited in claim 8 wherein the broadcast operations channel management system determines guide channels eligible for an emergency alert from a traffic scheduling system.

13. A system as recited in claim 8 wherein the traffic and scheduling system initiates an emergency alert event in response to the trigger.

14. A system as recited in claim 8 further comprising a satellite broadcasting the emergency alert event.