Abstract: A waiting time display system comprises a plurality of remote stations each including a waiting time display unit comprising a display portion for producing a visual display corresponding to waiting time and a control unit comprising control means selectively actuatable for producing predetermined output signals corresponding to a selected waiting time. A centralized monitoring unit is also provided and is responsive to the output signals from each control unit for monitoring the waiting time displayed on each display unit. A plurality of transmission lines coupled intermediate each of the control units and its associated display unit and intermediate each of the control units and the centralized monitoring unit for transmitting the output signals from each control unit to its associated display unit and to the centralized monitoring unit, respectively.

Abstract: A system is provided for transmitting data from at least one control position to at least one remote display position over a plurality of transmission lines coupled between the control position and the display position. These transmission lines include a common power supply line, a ground line and a number M of conductors. Each conductor is used for transmitting one or more of a number N of different data. The display position includes a number R of display characters. The invention provides circuits for transmitting N data on M transmission lines to actuate a given combination of R display characters corresponding to each of the N data wherein both R and N are greater than M so that the transmission lines are fewer in number than either the number of data or the number of display characters.