Methods and apparatus for providing notifications in a media system

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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving input, at the control circuitry, of a user setting specifying an alert level for alert messages;   receiving, at the control circuitry, the alert message from a particular alert provider, wherein the particular alert provider is a third-party alert provider that transmitted the alert from a separate system;   reading the user setting from memory; and   preventing generating for display, on a display screen and based on reading the user setting from the memory, the indication of the alert message.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the alert level indicates that when the alert message is received from the particular alert provider, the indication of the alert message should be prevented from being generated for display. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the alert level further indicates certain categories of alert messages received from the particular alert provider, for which indications of alert messages should be prevented from being generated for display. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the alert level indicates a particular manner in which the indication of the alert message should be prevented from being generated for display. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the indication of the alert message is an icon comprising indicia identifying the particular alert provider. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 preventing generating for display a plurality of indications of alert messages received from one or more alert providers, based on one or more user settings including the user setting.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the alert message is received from a public distribution network. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the alert message is received from a private distribution network. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the alert message is transmitted via a network to a device of a user based on an identifier associated with the user. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the control circuitry is associated with a home media system. 
     
     
         32 . A computer-implemented system comprising:
 memory;   control circuitry configured to:
 receive input of a user setting specifying an alert level for alert messages; 
 receive the alert message from a particular alert provider, wherein the particular alert provider is a third-party alert provider that transmitted the alert from a separate system; 
 read the user setting from memory; and 
 prevent generating for display, on a display screen and based on reading the user setting from the memory, the indication of the alert message. 
   
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the alert level indicates that when the alert message is received from the particular alert provider, the indication of the alert message should be prevented from being generated for display. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the alert level further indicates certain categories of alert messages received from the particular alert provider, for which indications of alert messages should be prevented from being generated for display. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the alert level indicates a particular manner in which the indication of the alert message should be prevented from being generated for display. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the indication of the alert message is an icon comprising indicia identifying the particular alert provider. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
 prevent generating for display a plurality of indications of alert messages received from one or more alert providers, based on one or more user settings including the user setting.   
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the alert message is received from a public distribution network. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the alert message is received from a private distribution network. 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the alert message is transmitted via a network to a device of a user based on an identifier associated with the user. 
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the control circuitry is associated with a home media system.