Emergency alert data delivery apparatus and methods

• US 7,592,912 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2005
• Issued: 09/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Inc. (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gould, Kenneth, Hasek, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Phung
• Application Number:
  US11/299,169
• Publication Number:
  US 20070136743A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,383 Days
• Field of Search: 340/531, 340/517, 340/601, 340/691.1, 340/691.6, 340/539.16, 725/33, 725/86, 725/114, 725/108
• US Class Current: 340/539.16
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/085 using central distribution transmission lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/488 Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• 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

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for efficiently and flexibly providing emergency alert data (e.g., EAS messages) to subscribers of a content-based network, such as for example Internet protocol television (IPTV) subscribers. In one exemplary embodiment, the apparatus includes a server performing real-time receipt and encapsulation of the EAS data (which may comprise audio, video, and/or text), transport of the EAS data to client devices over the network, and use of one or more applications running on the client devices to decode and display/present the EAS data in a manner which effectively guarantees that it will be perceived by the viewer. In one variant, instant messaging (IM) infrastructure is used to authenticate clients and receive and display at least portion of the EAS data via a separate transport process. Server and client-side apparatus adapted for EAS data receipt, decoding and display are also disclosed.

Claims

1. In a content-based network having a server and a client device in data communication therewith, a method of providing primary content, emergency-related secondary content, and contextually-related tertiary content to users of said network, said method comprising:

delivering said primary content to said client device;

delivering said secondary content to said client device;

accessing a descriptive data file associated with said secondary content in order to obtain descriptive data therefrom, said descriptive data relating to at least one aspect of said emergency-related content;

providing said descriptive data to a processing entity to identify contextually related tertiary content;

transmitting said secondary and tertiary content to said client device over said network; and

selectively displaying said primary content and at least one of said secondary and tertiary content on a display device associated with said client device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of displaying comprises displaying said secondary and tertiary content in a common display window generated by a software application adapted for playing audiovisual content.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

said act of displaying further comprises displaying said tertiary content immediately following the completion of the display of said secondary content; and

said tertiary content comprises substantially textual links to other information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said contextually-related tertiary content comprises additional information generated from sources other than a source of said emergency-related secondary content.

5. In a content-based network having a server and a client device in data communication therewith, a method of providing primary content, emergency-related secondary content, and contextually-related tertiary content to users of said network, said method comprising:

delivering said primary content to said client device;

delivering said secondary content to said client device;

accessing a descriptive data file associated with said secondary content in order to obtain descriptive data therefrom, said descriptive data relating to at least one aspect of said emergency-related content;

providing said descriptive data to a processing entity to identify contextually related tertiary content comprising substantially textual links to other information;

transmitting said secondary and tertiary content to said client device over said network; and

selectively displaying said primary content and said secondary and tertiary content on a display device associated with said client device, said displaying comprising;

displaying said secondary and tertiary content in a common display window generated by a software application adapted for playing audiovisual content; and

displaying said tertiary content immediately following the completion of the display of said secondary content.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said content-based network comprises an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) network.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said content-based network comprises at least portions of an HFC cable network including at least one cable modem interposed between said server and said client device.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein said emergency-related secondary content comprises video, text, and audio content, and said method further comprises selectively transmitting video content via a packet stream different than a packet stream carrying said audio and/or text content.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising generating a message causing said client device to forcibly tune to a designated program stream to receive at least a portion of said emergency-related secondary content.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising authenticating said client device prior to said delivering of said primary, secondary or tertiary content thereto.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein said textual links to other information comprise textual links to at least one of:

traffic information;

reporting information; and

imaging information.

12. In a content-based network having a server and a client device in data communication therewith, a method of content to users of said network, said method comprising:

accessing a data file comprising at least one aspect of emergency-related content;

identifying, based at least in part on said at least one aspect, second content related to the context of said emergency-related content, said second content comprising substantially textual links to other information;

transmitting said emergency-related content and said second content to said client device over said network; and

selectively displaying said emergency-related and said second content on a display device associated with said client device, said act of displaying comprising displaying said emergency-related and said second content in a common display window generated by a software application adapted for playing audiovisual content, said display of said second content immediately following the completion of said display of said emergency-related content.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said server is adapted to deliver said emergency-related content, and comprises at least one of:

a video streaming server; and

an emergency alert server.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said act of transmitting said emergency-related content further comprises formatting one or more emergency alerts into said emergency-related content having a format suitable for transport over said network.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said formatting comprises creating multiple packet formats for the same data, said packet formats being selected to meet one or more requirements associated with a plurality of client devices.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein:

said server comprises a multimedia server configured to send multimedia programs; and

said act of transmitting further comprises presenting an audio portion of said emergency-related content in place of the audio of at least one of said multimedia programs.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein said server comprises a multimedia server configured to send multimedia programs, and wherein said method further comprises:

delivering said one or more multimedia programs to said client device over a first transport stream associated with a first process running on said client device; and

delivering said emergency-related content to said client device over a second transport stream different from said first transport stream and associated with a second process running on said client device.

18. A client device of a content-based network in communication with at least one server, said client device comprising:

a receiver adapted to receive primary content, emergency-related secondary content, and tertiary content, said tertiary content comprising substantially textual links to other information, said other information being related to at least one aspect of said emergency-related secondary content; and

at least one display device adapted to display said primary content, said secondary content and said tertiary content, said display of said secondary and tertiary content occurring in a common display window generated by a software application adapted for playing audiovisual content and said display of said tertiary content immediately following completion of said display of said secondary content.

19. The client device of claim 18, wherein said at least one display device is associated with a video player application configured to display at least a portion of said primary content, and a messaging client application configured to display at least a portion of said emergency-related secondary content.

20. The client device of claim 18, wherein said at least one display device is associated with at least one computer program configured to receive said emergency-related secondary content, said computer program comprising an instant messaging program.

21. An apparatus capable of selectively providing primary content, emergency-related secondary content, and contextually-related tertiary content to a plurality of client devices receiving content transmitted over a packet-switched network, the apparatus comprising:

a transmitter adapted to deliver said primary content and said emergency-related secondary content to individual ones of said plurality of client devices; and

a processor adapted to run at least one computer program thereon, said computer program configured to;

access a descriptive data file associated with said emergency-related secondary content in order to obtain descriptive data therefrom, said descriptive data relating to at least one aspect of said emergency-related secondary content;

identify said contextually-related tertiary content; and

cause said transmitter to transmit said contextually-related tertiary content to said individual ones of said plurality of client devices for display thereon.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said transmission of said primary content, said emergency-related secondary content, and said contextually-related tertiary content is based at least in part on information identifying the location of cable modem units associated with respective ones of said plurality of client devices.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said apparatus is configured to generate a message to one or more of said plurality of client devices causing said one or more client devices to forcibly tune to a designated program stream to receive at least a portion of said emergency-related secondary content.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said computer program is further configured to selectively provide services to respective ones of said plurality of client devices, said services comprising services which are related to the context of said emergency-related secondary content.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said contextually-related tertiary content comprises at least one of:

evacuation route or traffic information;

Doppler or satellite imaging; and

real-time reporting information.

26. In a content-based network having a server and a client device in data communication therewith, a method of providing primary content, emergency-related secondary content, and contextually-related tertiary content to users of said network, said method comprising:

delivering said primary content to said client device;

delivering said secondary content to said client device;

accessing a descriptive data file associated with said secondary content in order to obtain descriptive data therefrom, said descriptive data relating to at least one aspect of said emergency-related content;

providing said descriptive data to a processing entity to identify contextually related tertiary content;

transmitting said secondary and tertiary content to said client device over said network;

selectively displaying said primary content, secondary content, and tertiary content on a display device associated with said client device.