Emergency alert message data structure, emergency alert message signaling method, and cable broadcasting system

Abstract

An emergency alert message data structure, an emergency alert message signaling method, and a cable broadcasting system using the same are disclosed. The data structure includes a scroll rate field representing a scroll rate of an emergency alert text to be scrolled across a portion of a video screen. The emergency alert (EA) signaling method includes the steps of identifying an emergency alert message included in a cable broadcast signal, the emergency alert message including emergency alert text data representing an emergency alert text to be displayed, and a scroll rate field representing a scroll rate of the emergency alert text, and scrolling the emergency alert text across a first portion of a video screen according to the scroll rate indicated in the scroll rate field.

1 - 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . An emergency alert signaling method for use by a cable broadcasting system, the method comprising:
 identifying an emergency alert message included in a cable broadcast signal, the emergency alert message including emergency alert text data;   determining whether the emergency alert message is a duplicate emergency alert message that was previously received;   determining whether the emergency alert message includes scroll rate data, if the emergency alert message is not a duplicate; and   scrolling the emergency alert text across the video screen according to the scroll rate data if the emergency alert message includes scroll rate data.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising:
 terminating the processing of the emergency alert message prior to displaying the message if it is determined that the emergency alert message is a duplicate.   
     
     
         20 . An apparatus for processing a cable broadcast signal, including an emergency alert message, and displaying text associated with the emergency alert message, the apparatus comprising:
 a parsing unit adapted to parse the cable broadcast signal, including the emergency alert message, wherein the emergency alert message includes emergency alert text data;   a processor adapted to determine whether the emergency alert message is a duplicate emergency alert message that was previously received and, if the emergency alert message is not a duplicate, then the processor is adapted to determine whether the emergency alert message includes scroll rate data; and   a display unit adapted to scroll the emergency alert text across a video screen according to the scroll rate data, if the emergency alert rate data is not a duplicate message and that the emergency alert message includes scroll rate data.   
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the processor is further adapted to terminate the processing of the emergency alert message prior to displaying the text associated with the message if it is determined that the emergency alert message is a duplicate message. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the parsing unit is a demultiplexor adapted to parse the emergency alert message from the cable broadcast signal if the signal is transmitted by in-band signaling and further adapted to forward the emergency alert message to the processor. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the parsing unit is a point of deployment module adapted to parse the emergency alert message from the cable broadcast signal if the signal is transmitted by out-of-band signaling and further adapted to forward the emergency alert message to the processor.