Patent ID: 8461984

Claim:
In a packet 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 alert data to one or more of said client devices, said method comprising: receiving said 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; in response to said delivery of said alert data to said one or more client devices, receiving one or more authentication requests from said one or more client devices; authenticating said one or more client devices; and when said one or more client devices are authenticated, 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.