LOCAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AND STATION FOR USE IN SUCH A SYSTEM

摘要

A local communication system has a number of stations connected for the communication of messages by one or more data channels. One of the stations comprises a display device operable to display messages sent by other stations in one or more of a plurality of fields. Each message to be displayed is given a display lifetime (80-84), which is determined by a mode value (74-78) set by the originating subdevice or commonly assigned by the display device. The display determines whether there are sufficient display fields available (68) to display a received message and handles the timing (88) and subsequent removal from display (90) of a message on expiry of its display lifetime, independently of the originating station.