IP Library Granted Patent US 8,336,067
Granted Patent B2
US 8,336,067 · App. 12/370,912 · Granted Dec 18, 2012

System and method for bypassing an emergency alert break-in

Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,336,067
App. No.
12/370,912
Granted
Dec 18, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments of the disclosed invention include a system and a method for bypassing an emergency alert break-in. An emergency alert break-in means any message, alert, and/or newscast that interrupts by preempting and/or modifying displaying of a regularly scheduled program to present information associated with an urgent and/or important event. For example, in one embodiment, a method is disclosed that includes receiving data from a media content provider; identifying from the data an emergency alert break-in; presenting a user interface that includes an option for bypassing the emergency alert break-in; and displaying a regularly scheduled program in response to receiving a request to bypass the emergency alert break-in.

Claims (15)

1. A set-top box for bypassing an emergency alert break-in, the set top box comprising:

a memory component for storing computer executable instructions;

a communication interface for receiving data from a media content provider, wherein the received data includes the emergency alert break-in and a regularly scheduled program;

an emergency alert break-in monitoring module for identifying the emergency alert break-in from the received data;

an emergency alert break-in bypass user interface module for generating and displaying an emergency alert break-in bypass user interface for enabling a viewer to bypass an identified emergency alert break-in,

wherein in response to receiving a user request to bypass the identified emergency alert break-in, the set-top box transmits a request to a third party content provider to stream the regularly scheduled program to the set-top box; and

displaying the regularly scheduled program.

2. The set top box of claim 1 , wherein the third party content provider is a television network that provides the regularly scheduled program.

3. A method executed by a set-top box for bypassing an emergency alert break-in, the method comprising:

receiving data from a media content provider, wherein the data includes the emergency alert break-in and a regularly scheduled program;

identifying from the data an emergency alert break-in;

presenting a user interface that includes an option for bypassing the emergency alert break-in;

responsive to receiving a request to bypass the emergency alert break-in, transmitting a request to a third party content provider to stream the regularly scheduled program to the set-top box; and

displaying the regularly scheduled program.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising displaying the emergency alert break-in in response to not receiving a user response to the presented user interface within a specified period.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 14, 2012
From: EMBARQ HOLDINGS COMPANY, LLC
To: CENTURYLINK INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LLC
Reel/Frame 029300/0361 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 13, 2009
From: HOWARTER, JAMIE; CEBALLOS, DOUG
To: EMBARQ HOLDINGS COMPANY, LLC
Reel/Frame 022260/0736 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20100211970A1 · Aug 19, 2010