Patent ID: 7515036
Filing Date: 2009-04-07
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A method of communicating emergency alerts, the method comprising: receiving a multicast emergency alert message at a set-top box device via a multicast-enabled network, wherein the multicast emergency alert message includes data related to a location code and data related to a set-top box action wherein the set-top box action includes sending emergency alert information received with the multicast emergency alert message to a display device coupled to the set-top box device, generating an audio alert at the set-top box device, sending audio of the audio alert to the display device coupled to the set-top box device, generating a visual alert at the set-top box device, or any combination thereof; and executing the set-top box action when the location code matches location information stored at the set-top box device and discarding the multicast emergency alert message when the location code does not match the location information at the set-top box device.