Patent ID: 7768388

Claim:
In a system having an alert service connected with a plurality of alert providers and a plurality of households, a method to convey alert messages, comprising: receiving at the alert service an alert message from each alert provider in the plurality of alert providers; for each alert message, determining a plurality of households designated to receive the alert message; for each alert message, adding an identification of the alert provider that sent the alert message; for each alert message for each designated household, assigning an alert level for the alert message based on the identity of the alert provider that sent the alert message, the assigned alert level for each alert provider being determined by user settings for the designated household, wherein an alert message is assigned to one of at least two different alert levels, each alert level determining a different manner in which the alert message is presented at the designated household; and for each alert message, sending the alert message to the households designated to receive the alert message.