A system for publicly displaying messages can comprise an automotive
vehicle having an automotive electrical system including an ignition
system and a generator and a publicly visible electronic display; video
drive circuitry for generating images (which can include advertisements)
on the display; display-power circuitry for receiving power from the
vehicle's automotive electrical system, supplying that power to the
display, and automatically reducing the power supplied to the display
after the vehicle's ignition is turned off. The display-power circuitry
can automatically increase power to the display when the vehicle's
ignition is turned back on. A computer can control the images on the
display and the display-power circuitry can automatically reduce power to
the display independently of whether the computer is operating. A system
for publicly displaying messages can also comprise an automotive vehicle
having a publicly visible electronic display; a computer for showing
various messages (which can include advertisements) on the display; an
input device which can be used by an occupant of the vehicle to generate
one or more emergency signals; and a connection supplying such emergency
signals to the computer. The computer can respond to the emergency signal
by showing an emergency message on the display. A radio can be connected
to the computer to supply information to the computer about messages to be
displayed and to respond to the generation of an emergency signal by
sending an emergency message to a remote electronic system.
