Patent ID: 7697558
Filing Date: 2010-04-13
Classification: H04M

Abstract:
1. An emergency alert system that alerts Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) subscribers of imminent perils, where subscriber terminals are connected over a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM) to a metro network that carries regular traffic between said subscriber terminals and the Internet, comprising: an alert server directly connected over a direct link to an edge node of said metro network that receives an event notification, configures from said event notification a highest priority alert message, and broadcasts said alert message to said subscriber terminals over said metro network; an Add-Drop Multiplexer (ADM) that multiplexes alert traffic including said alert message with said regular traffic onto said direct link, wherein a specified throughput capacity is guaranteed for the alert message and the alert message preempts the regular traffic having a lower priority; and an applet installed on said subscriber terminals that accepts said alert message and displays said alert message in a browser or a media player, wherein said alert message travels between said alert server to said edge node over said direct link and between said edge node and said DSLAM on a virtual circuit.