Multifunction traffic control and information system

A system comprising:

• one or more external condition sensors;
• a plurality of devices each comprising one or more display portions effective to display alphanumeric messages and a local communications module functionally linked to a local network;
• at least a first device comprising a master device, the remaining one or more of the plurality of devices comprising slave devices effective to exchange data with the master device via the local network, the first device further comprising a remote communications module functionally linked to a cellular network and a controller operatively linked to the one or more sensors, the one or more display portions, and the local and remote communications module, the controller effective to
• generate a return data string based on external condition data sensed by the one or more sensors;
• transmit said return data string across the cellular network via the remote communications module;
• receive an encoded display data string transmitted from across the cellular network via the remote communications module, the display data string further comprising an address associated with one or more of said plurality of devices and a message displayable by said one or more of said plurality of devices;
• decode said message and address;
• determine whether a message intended for one or more devices for display on associated display portions has been received via the cellular network;
• depending on said determination of whether a message intended for one or more devices has been received, to further determine at least one of said one or more devices to display either of the decoded message or one or more messages based on external condition data;
• and
• route either of said decoded message or one or more messages based on external condition data to at least one display portion associated with the one or more determined devices.

A system comprising:

• one or more external condition sensors;
• a plurality of slave devices each comprising one or more display portions effective to display alphanumeric messages and a local communications module functionally linked to a local network;
• a master device comprising a local communications module functionally linked to the local network, a remote communications module functionally linked to a cellular network and a controller operatively linked to the one or more sensors, the controller effective to
• generate a return data string based on external condition data sensed by the one or more sensors;
• transmit said return data string across the cellular network via the remote communications module;
• receive a display data string transmitted from across the cellular network via the remote communications module, the display data string further comprising an address associated with one or more of said plurality of slave devices and a message intended for said devices;
• and
• transmit said message to the one or more slave devices associated with the address.

A device comprising:

• a housing;
• one or more external condition sensors;
• one or more display portions integral to the housing and effective to display alphanumeric messages;
• a cellular communications module residing within the housing and functionally linked to a cellular network;
• one or more multi-position switches residing within the housing, each switch associated with at least one of the display portions;
• and
• a controller residing within the housing and operatively linked to the one or more sensors, the switches, the one or more display portions, and the communications module, the controller effective to
• generate a return data string based on external condition data sensed by the one or more sensors;
• transmit said return data string across the cellular network via the communications module;
• receive an encoded display data string transmitted from across the cellular network via the communications module, the display data string further comprising an alphanumeric message displayable by at least one of said one or more display portions;
• decode the encoded alphanumeric message;
• determine a first or second switch state for each of the one or more switches;
• route a predetermined message to a display portion when the associated switch is in a first state;
• and
• route decoded messages from a received data string to the display portion when the associated switch is in a second state.

A system comprising:

• one or more external condition sensors;
• a plurality of devices comprising a master device and one or more slave devices effective to exchange data with the master device via a local communications module functionally linked to a local network, each of the plurality of devices comprising one or more display portions effective to display alphanumeric messages;
• the master device further comprising a remote communications module functionally linked to a cellular network, one or more multi-position switches associated with one or more of the devices, and a controller operatively linked to the sensors, switches, display portions, and the local and remote communications module, the controller effective to
• generate a return data string based on external condition data sensed by the one or more sensors;
• transmit said return data string across the cellular network via the remote communications module;
• receive a display data string transmitted from across the cellular network via the remote communications module, the display data string further comprising a message displayable by one or more of said plurality of devices;
• determine a first or second switch state for each of the one or more switches;
• route a predetermined message to a device when the associated switch is in a first state;
• and
• route messages in a received display data string to the device when the associated switch is in a second state.