Patent ID: 6922155

Claim:
A method for operating a plurality of travel information display boards, said boards comprising structure defining a display board having a first section displaying the identity and locations of lodgings, status indicators associated with each of said lodgings, including at least two illumination conditions for indicating two discrete status levels, a map section on said display board for depicting a road map, said road map displaying the positions of said lodgings with road alert indicators positioned on said display along said roadway depicted on said map section having two illumination levels, means for accessing said display board from a remote location including a programmable computer including memory, an input means, and interface means for interfacing said computer to said indicators, a plurality of telephone lines including a telephone interface coupling said telephone line to said computer, means for recognizing commands issued by a caller on said phone line or by an operator on said input means for changing an illumination condition of a pre-selected lodging or road alert indicator from a first condition to a second condition comprising the steps of: a) storing status information in said computer memory about said lodging and said road alert conditions in a travel condition file; b) receiving updated information about said lodging and road alert conditions and weather conditions; c) updating said stored status information in said travel condition file based upon said updated information; d) maintaining a display board status file in said computer memory for identifying display boards that have indicator lights whose illumination levels need to be changed based on said updated status information; and e) contacting said identified display boards to transmit said updated information and change said illumination levels.