Emergency alert data delivery apparatus and methods

In a content-based network having a server and a client device in data communication therewith, a method of providing primary content, emergency-related secondary content, and contextually-related tertiary content to users of said network, said method comprising:

• delivering said primary content to said client device;
• delivering said secondary content to said client device;
• accessing a descriptive data file associated with said secondary content in order to obtain descriptive data therefrom, said descriptive data relating to at least one aspect of said emergency-related content;
• providing said descriptive data to a processing entity to identify contextually related tertiary content comprising substantially textual links to other information;
• transmitting said secondary and tertiary content to said client device over said network;
• and
• selectively displaying said primary content and said secondary and tertiary content on a display device associated with said client device, said displaying comprising:
• displaying said secondary and tertiary content in a common display window generated by a software application adapted for playing audiovisual content;
• and
• displaying said tertiary content immediately following the completion of the display of said secondary content.

In a content-based network having a server and a client device in data communication therewith, a method of content to users of said network, said method comprising:

• accessing a data file comprising at least one aspect of emergency-related content;
• identifying, based at least in part on said at least one aspect, second content related to the context of said emergency-related content, said second content comprising substantially textual links to other information;
• transmitting said emergency-related content and said second content to said client device over said network;
• and
• selectively displaying said emergency-related and said second content on a display device associated with said client device, said act of displaying comprising displaying said emergency-related and said second content in a common display window generated by a software application adapted for playing audiovisual content, said display of said second content immediately following the completion of said display of said emergency-related content.

An apparatus capable of selectively providing primary content, emergency-related secondary content, and contextually-related tertiary content to a plurality of client devices receiving content transmitted over a packet-switched network, the apparatus comprising:

• a transmitter adapted to deliver said primary content and said emergency-related secondary content to individual ones of said plurality of client devices;
• and
• a processor adapted to run at least one computer program thereon, said computer program configured to:
• access a descriptive data file associated with said emergency-related secondary content in order to obtain descriptive data therefrom, said descriptive data relating to at least one aspect of said emergency-related secondary content;
• identify said contextually-related tertiary content;
• and
• cause said transmitter to transmit said contextually-related tertiary content to said individual ones of said plurality of client devices for display thereon.

In a content-based network having a server and a client device in data communication therewith, a method of providing primary content, emergency-related secondary content, and contextually-related tertiary content to users of said network, said method comprising:

• delivering said primary content to said client device;
• delivering said secondary content to said client device;
• accessing a descriptive data file associated with said secondary content in order to obtain descriptive data therefrom, said descriptive data relating to at least one aspect of said emergency-related content;
• providing said descriptive data to a processing entity to identify contextually related tertiary content;
• transmitting said secondary and tertiary content to said client device over said network;
• selectively displaying said primary content, secondary content, and tertiary content on a display device associated with said client device.