US 12,289,484 B2
System and method for delivering alerts
Imran Arif Maskatia, Palo Alto, CA (US); Benjamin James Kauffman, Ridgefield, WA (US); Thomas Lee Rich, Meridian, ID (US); Nicholas James Hottinger, Boise, ID (US); and Michael J. Chase, Jr., New Boston, NH (US)
Filed by Gray Media Group, Inc., Montgomery, AL (US)
Filed on Sep. 4, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/241,969.
Application 18/241,969 is a continuation of application No. 17/520,782, filed on Nov. 8, 2021, granted, now 11,750,857.
Prior Publication US 2024/0251115 A1, Jul. 25, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04N 21/235 (2011.01); H04N 21/81 (2011.01)
CPC H04N 21/2355 (2013.01) [H04N 21/814 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A computing device comprising:
at least one processor;
at least one memory; and
at least one communication interface, wherein:
the communication interface is configured to receive data from a plurality of sources;
the processor is configured to:
encode the received data;
determine the existence of one or more alerts;
if at least one alert exists,
determine a market area (MA) associated with the at least one alert;
for a MA having an associated alert:
 assign the alert as a stream to a data subchannel of a plurality of subchannels; and
 assign the encoded data as a first plurality of streams to remaining ones of the plurality of subchannels,
for a MA not having an associated alert:
 assign the encoded data as a second plurality of streams to the plurality of subchannels,
else, assign the encoded data as a third plurality of streams to a plurality of subchannels, wherein further
the communication interface is configured to transmit:
the stream and the first plurality of streams to a regional controller (RC) associated with the MA for which the alert is applicable for broadcast via an over the air (OTA) interface to the respective MA;
the second plurality of streams to a RC associated with the MA for which an alert is not applicable for broadcast via the OTA interface to the respective MA; and
the third plurality of streams to a RC for broadcast via the OTA interface to the respective MA.