Methods and apparatus for providing notifications in a media system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11288949-B2
Application number	US-202016878997-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2020
Priority date	Jan 5, 2005
Publication date	Mar 29, 2022
Grant date	Mar 29, 2022

Abstract

A system to convey user alert messages is disclosed. The system may have a alert service coupled between alert providers and a number of households. After receiving in the alert service an alert message from an alert provider, the alert service may alter the alert message to identify the household designated to receive the alert message. The alert service sends a notification to a home media system within the household designated to receive the alert message.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving input indicative of a time when alert messages received from a home appliance should not be generated for display;
receiving an alert message from the home appliance, wherein the alert message is generated in response to detecting an occurrence of an event associated with the appliance;
retrieving alert settings for the home appliance;
determining an alert level associated with the alert settings; and
in response to determining that a current time does not correspond to the time when alert messages should not be generated for display, generating for display the alert message based on the alert level associated with the alert settings.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the alert level determines a manner in which the alert message is generated for display to a user.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein:
a first alert level is associated with automatically generating for display content of the alert message without receiving user input.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein:
a second alert level is associated with generating for display an icon representing the alert message, wherein content of the alert message is generated for display upon receiving user input.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein:
the icon comprises a company mark that identifies a company associated with the alert message.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alert message is received from a public distribution network.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alert message is received from a private distribution network.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the home appliance is located in a household of a user, and the alert message is generated for display to the user.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating for display the alert message based on the alert level comprises:
determining, based on the alert level, whether the alert message is permitted to be generated for display to a user; and
generating for display the alert message is performed in response to determining that the alert message is permitted to be generated for display to the user.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alert message is transmitted via a network to a device of a user based on an identifier associated with the user.

11. A system comprising:
control circuitry configured to:
receive input indicative of a time when alert messages received from a home appliance should not be generated for display;
receive an alert message from the home appliance, wherein the alert message is generated in response to detecting an occurrence of an event associated with the appliance;
retrieve alert settings for the home appliance;
determine an alert level associated with the alert settings;

and
in response to determining that a current time does not correspond to the time when alert messages should not be generated for display, generate for display the alert message based on the alert level associated with the alert settings.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein:
the alert level determines a manner in which the alert message is generated for display to a user.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein:
a first alert level is associated with automatically generating for display content of the alert message without receiving user input.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein:
a second alert level is associated with generating for display an icon representing the alert message, wherein content of the alert message is generated for display upon receiving user input.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein:
the icon comprises a company mark that identifies a company associated with the alert message.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the alert message is received from a public distribution network.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the alert message is received from a private distribution network.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the home appliance is located in a household of a user, and the alert message is generated for display to the user.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to generate for display the alert message based on the alert level by:
determining, based on the alert level, whether the alert message is permitted to be generated for display to a user; and
generating for display the alert message is performed in response to determining that the alert message is permitted to be generated for display to the user.

20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the alert message is transmitted via a network to a device of a user based on an identifier associated with the user.

Assignees

• Rovi Guides Inc

Inventors

• Putterman Daniel
• Peters Gregory
• Bullwinkle Richard
• Dykeman Kim R
• Dietrich Brad

Classifications

• G08B27/008 Primary

  with transmission via TV or radio broadcast · CPC title

• G08B27/006

  with transmission via telephone network · CPC title

• G08B27/00 Primary

  Alarm systems in which the alarm condition is signalled from a central station to a plurality of substations · CPC title

• G08B27/005

  with transmission via computer network · CPC title