EMERGENCY ALERT DATA DELIVERY APPARATUS AND METHODS
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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.
35 Citations
76 Claims
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1-37. -37. (canceled)
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38. In a packet-switched network comprising at least one server and a plurality of client devices in direct or indirect signal communication with said server, a method of delivering said alert data to one or more of said client devices, said method comprising:
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receiving alert data from one or more alert sources, said alert data comprising video and audio; formatting said alert data in a format suitable for transport over said network; delivering said alert data to said one or more client devices over said network; and causing said client devices to; (i) display at least a first portion of said video alert data on a display device associated with respective ones of said client devices; and (ii) present said audio alert data in place of said audio of at least one multimedia program being contemporaneously viewed on said display device. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A method of distributing both media content and emergency alert information over a packet-switched network, said method comprising:
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receiving emergency alert information, said alert information comprising at least video; generating alert data relating to said alert information, said alert data comprising at least one alert video stream; transmitting said alert data to said one or more client devices over said network; and directing said one or more client devices to display at least a first portion of said alert data on display devices associated therewith. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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47. The method of claim 47, wherein said formatting comprises creating multiple packet formats for the same data, said packet formats being selected to be compatible with the capabilities of various different ones of said plurality of client devices.
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54. In an IPTV network comprising at least one server and a plurality of client devices in direct or indirect communication with said server, a method of providing said alert data to one or more of said client devices, said method comprising:
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receiving alert data from one or more alert sources, said alert data being specific to a geographic region; formatting said alert data in a format suitable for transport over said network; determining, based at least in part on a unique identification associated with each of said plurality of client devices, a subset of said plurality of client devices associated with said geographic region; providing said alert data to said subset of client devices over said network; and causing said subset of client devices to display at least a first portion of said alert data on a display device associated therewith. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
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62. A network server apparatus for selectively providing emergency alert data to a plurality of client devices over a packet-switched network, said apparatus comprising:
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a receiver configured to receive said emergency alert data transmitted over said network; and a processor adapted to run at least one computer program thereon, said computer program configured to; format said alert data in a format suitable for transport over said network; transmit said alert data to individual ones of said plurality of client devices; and cause display of at least a portion of said alert data on display devices associated with respective ones of said client devices. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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69. A method of providing emergency alert system (EAS) services to a non-EAS enabled device in an IPTV network via at least one server entity, said method comprising:
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receiving from one or more alert sources EAS data in a first format; converting said EAS data from said first format to a second format, said second format being suitable for transport over said network; providing said EAS data to said non-EAS enabled device, said non-EAS enabled device comprising at least an IPTV video decoder; and causing said IPTV video decoder of said non-EAS enabled device to decode and display at least a first portion of said EAS data. - View Dependent Claims (70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75)
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76. In an IPTV network comprising at least one server and a plurality of client devices in direct or indirect communication with said server, a method of providing said alert data to one or more of said client devices, said method comprising:
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receiving alert data from one or more alert sources, said alert data being specific to a geographic region; formatting said alert data in a format suitable for transport over said network; determining, based at least in part on a unique identification associated with each of said plurality of client devices, at least one of said plurality of client devices associated with said geographic region; providing said alert data to at least one client device over said network irrespective of the actual location of said at least one device; and causing said subset of client devices to display at least a first portion of said alert data on a display device associated therewith.
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Specification