Emergency alert system methods and apparatus
First Claim
1. A method for providing emergency alert messages, comprising:
- receiving, at a network switching device located at a hub site, coupled to a plurality of customer premise devices, a first emergency alert control message indicating that an emergency alert is in effect;
accessing, at said hub site a program channel map table, said program channel map table including for each of a first plurality of individual program channels corresponding emergency alert content stream identification information, emergency alert content stream identification information corresponding to an individual program channel in the first plurality of program channels indicating an emergency alert content stream to be output in place of the corresponding individual program channel content when an emergency alert is in effect; and
switching, on a per program channel basis, at said network switching device, when the emergency alert is in effect, from outputting program content to customer premise devices on the program channel being switched, to outputting on the program channel being switched, emergency alert message content communicated by the emergency alert content stream indicated by said program channel map table to correspond to the individual program channel being switched, said switching including switching each of the first plurality of individual program channels.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for delivering emergency alert system message content to customer premise devices without requiring them to tune to an emergency message channel and having to encode information into frames of regular program content being delivered to customer premise devices, e.g., set top boxes, are described. An emergency management server receives emergency alert messages from a federal government system and generates emergency alert control messages which are sent to one or more switching devices located at one or more regional hubsites/headends to which the emergency alert message applies. The emergency alert control message instructs the switching device to output an emergency alert content stream in place of a standard program. The switching device outputs the emergency content message stream in place of the standard program content to, e.g., a QAM modulator, which modulates the content stream on the frequency being used to deliver the standard program content being replaced.
14 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for providing emergency alert messages, comprising:
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receiving, at a network switching device located at a hub site, coupled to a plurality of customer premise devices, a first emergency alert control message indicating that an emergency alert is in effect; accessing, at said hub site a program channel map table, said program channel map table including for each of a first plurality of individual program channels corresponding emergency alert content stream identification information, emergency alert content stream identification information corresponding to an individual program channel in the first plurality of program channels indicating an emergency alert content stream to be output in place of the corresponding individual program channel content when an emergency alert is in effect; and switching, on a per program channel basis, at said network switching device, when the emergency alert is in effect, from outputting program content to customer premise devices on the program channel being switched, to outputting on the program channel being switched, emergency alert message content communicated by the emergency alert content stream indicated by said program channel map table to correspond to the individual program channel being switched, said switching including switching each of the first plurality of individual program channels. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system for providing emergency alert messages, comprising:
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a network switching device located at a hub site, the network switching device including an interface configured to receive a first emergency alert control message indicating that an emergency alert is in effect; an identification module configured to access, at said hub site a program channel map table, said program channel map table including for each of a first plurality of individual program channels corresponding emergency alert content stream identification information, emergency alert content stream identification information corresponding to an individual program channel in the first plurality of program channels indicating an emergency alert content stream to be output in place of the corresponding individual program channel content when an emergency alert is in effect; and a switching control module configured to control said network switching device, to switch, on a per program channel basis, at said network switching device, when the emergency alert is in effect, from outputting program content to customer premise devices on the program channel being switched, to outputting on the program channel being switched, emergency alert message content communicated by the emergency alert content stream indicated by said program channel map table to correspond to the individual program channel being switched, said switching including switching each of the first plurality of individual program channels. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. A non-transitory computer readable medium for use in a system for providing emergency alert messages, said non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which when executed by a processor control a network switching device located at a hub site, coupled to a plurality of customer premise devices, to:
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receive, at said network switching device, a first emergency alert control message indicating that an emergency alert is in effect; access, at said hub site a program channel map table, said program channel map table including for each of a first plurality of individual program channels corresponding emergency alert content stream identification information, emergency alert content stream identification information corresponding to an individual program channel in the first plurality of program channels indicating an emergency alert content stream to be output in place of the corresponding individual program channel content when an emergency alert is in effect; and switch, on a per program channel basis at said network switching device, when the emergency alert is in effect, from outputting program content to customer premise devices on the program channel being switched, to outputting on the program channel being switched, emergency alert message content communicated by the emergency alert content stream indicated by said program channel map table to correspond to the individual program channel being switched, said switching including switching each of the first plurality of individual program channels.
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Specification