METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR CENTRALIZED AND DECENTRALIZED EMERGENCY ALERT MESSAGING

• US 20120185897A1
• Filed: 01/09/2012
• Published: 07/19/2012
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 9,262,907 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/33
• 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

1-53. -53. (canceled)

54. A client location apparatus capable of processing data associated with a plurality of substantially portable client devices, said apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a storage device in data communication with said processor; and

a computer program stored at least partly on said storage device and operative to run on said processor, said computer program comprising a plurality of instructions which are configured to, when executed;

obtain first data relating to current locations of said individual ones of said plurality of client devices; and

correlate said first data with location data associated with an emergency alert to identify at least one of said client devices prospectively affected by said emergency alert.

55. The apparatus of claim 54, further comprising apparatus configured to cause transmission of said emergency alert to said at least one prospectively affected client devices via at least an Internet Protocol (IP) network.

56. The apparatus of claim 54, further comprising a mass storage device in data communication with said processor, said storage device adapted to store said first data and second data, said second data allowing for the association of said individual ones of said client devices with respective subscriber accounts of a content distribution network.

57. The apparatus of claim 56, wherein at least one of said first and second data comprises a network address, and said location data of said emergency alert comprises Federal Information Processing standard (FIPS) data.

58. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein said plurality of instructions of said computer program are further configured to, when executed:

receive third data relating to one or more locations of interest to respective users of said individual ones of said plurality of client devices; and

correlate second emergency alert data relating to said one or more locations of interest with at least one of said at least one prospectively affected client devices.

59. The apparatus of claim 55, further comprising:

a first apparatus adapted to receive said emergency alert from one or more sources; and

a second apparatus adapted to distribute at least a portion of said emergency alert to one or more entities in communication with said second apparatus.

60. The apparatus of claim 59, wherein said one or more entities comprise at least a video registration server adapted to register said client devices within said IP network.

61. The apparatus of claim 59, further comprising an apparatus adapted to modify said emergency alert or append data thereto.

62. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein said modification or appendage comprises reformatting said alert for distribution over said IP network.

63. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein said modification or appendage comprises at least one of altering the bitrate or encoding of said emergency alert so as to be compatible with the video or audio playing capabilities of said prospectively affected client devices.

64. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein said modification or appendage comprises adding to or subtracting substantive content from said emergency alert based at least in part on said location data associated with said emergency alert.

65. The apparatus of claim 54, wherein said correlation further comprises correlating second data with said first data, said second data uniquely associated with one or more of said one or more client devices and indicating one or more geographic locations of interest specified by a user of said one or more client devices.

66. The apparatus of claim 65, wherein said one or more geographic locations of interest do not comprise a current location of said one or more client devices.

67. The apparatus of claim 65, wherein said second data uniquely associated with said one or more client devices comprises data indicating a location of a subscriber'"'"'s primary residence or premises.

68. A storage apparatus comprising a computer-readable medium, said medium having at least one computer program disposed thereon, said at least one program comprising a plurality of instructions which are configured to, when executed by a computerized apparatus:

receive geolocation data relating to one or more mobile client devices associated with users of a content-based network;

obtain an alert; and

evaluate said alert and said received geolocation data to determine which of said mobile client devices if any should receive said alert.

69. The apparatus of claim 68, wherein:

said alert comprises an emergency alert;

said mobile device comprises an Internet protocol (IP)-enabled mobile device; and

said evaluation comprises comparison of location data associated with at least one of said alerts to said data relating to said mobile client device.

70. A method of operating a network, comprising:

providing mandated emergency alert services to a subscriber of the network at a first location; and

selectively providing emergency alert services to one or more mobile client devices associated to the subscriber for consideration, the selectively providing thereof being based at least in part on geolocation data received therefrom.

71. The method of claim 70, wherein said network comprises an operator-managed content distribution network, and said mandated alert services are provided to said subscriber free of charge as part of a subscription plan.

72. A client device adapted for use with an unmanaged packet-switched network, comprising:

wireless receiver apparatus configured to receive encoded content from said network;

decoding apparatus in communication with said receiver apparatus and configured to decode said received encoded content;

a content rendering apparatus, said rendering apparatus configured to render said decoded content;

a processor; and

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

provide geolocation data to at least one entity for providing emergency alert data;

receive and decode emergency alert data from said at least one entity;

preempt at least a portion of an audio portion of said content being rendered on said client device; and

render said decoded emergency alert data either visually or audibly.

73. The client device of claim 72, wherein said at least one program is further adapted to return said client device to said content being rendered on said client device after completion of said emergency alert data.

74. The client device of claim 72, wherein said emergency alert data comprises textual data, and said at least one program comprises an instant messaging program.

75. The client device of claim 72, wherein said wireless receiver apparatus comprises a cellular wireless interface.

76. The client device of claim 72, wherein said at least one program is further configured to register with a network entity, said registration comprising registration with a network entity within a operator-managed content delivery network, said network entity having access to a subscriber database of said operator-managed network.

77. The client device of claim 76, wherein said at least one computer program comprises a client portion of a client-server architecture, and said registration comprises association of said client device with at least one subscriber account for said operator managed network.