Intelligent messaging system and method for providing and updating a message using a communication device, such as a large character display

A method for communicating using a character display, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a message;
• receiving message parameters related to the message, the message parameters including data at least designating a first message recipient;
• receiving update information related to the message;
• conveying at least one of the message and the update information to a message server;
• converting at least one of the message and the update information to a character display protocol, thereby generating a character display message and character display update information;
• automatically dispatching at least one of the character display message and the character display update information to a character display based on the message parameters;
• and
• displaying on the character display characters representative of at least one of the character display message and the character display update information, the characters having a height substantially equal to or greater than one-half inch and being visible to the first message recipient.

A messaging system, comprising;

• a message source interface to receive a message addressed to at least a first message recipient;
• a message file generator to generate a message file based on the message, the message file having a message portion and a message parameter portion, the message parameter portion including data identifying the first message recipient;
• a message server to receive the message file from the message file generator and automatically dispatch at least the message portion in response to the message parameter portion;
• a communication device interface in communication with the message server, the communication device interface being configured to receive and convert the message portion to at least a first converted message having a character display protocol and a second converted message having a communication device protocol;
• and
• a character display in communication with the communication device interface and configured to receive and display characters representative of the first converted message, the characters having a height substantially equal to or greater than one-half inch and being visible to the first recipient.

A method for automatically sending a communication to at least one of a plurality of types of communication devices, each of the plurality of types of communication devices communicating in a format different than the other types of communication devices, the plurality of types of devices being located at a plurality of communication destinations, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a message addressed to at least a first message recipient;
• generating a message file based on the message, the message file including a message portion and a message parameter portion, the message parameter portion including data identifying the first message recipient;
• conveying the message file to a message server;
• selecting at least a character display from the plurality of types of communication devices based on the message parameter portion;
• selecting at least one of the plurality of communication destinations based on the message parameter portion, wherein at least the character display is located at the selected communication destination;
• converting the message portion to at least a first converted message having a character display protocol;
• dispatching at least the first converted message to the character display located at the selected communication destination in response to the message parameter portion;
• and
• displaying on the character display characters representative of the first converted message, the characters having a height substantially equal to or greater than one-half inch and being visible to the first message recipient.