Abstract:
A projection advertising display system which can withstand the environmental conditions of the projection site, allows for remote operation and monitoring and provides for long-term, legitimate projected advertising in or on third-party structures. The digital projection advertising display system comprises a projection surface, such as the exterior side or interior wall of a building, which is covered by a long-term agreement allowing the projection of advertising images on said projection surface, and a projection unit comprising a projector, an environmental control system, a monitoring camera, and a computer. Each of the components of the projection unit is operatively coupled to a computer which controls and monitors the function of each of the components. The computer is networked to a central computer remote from said projection unit and can remotely control and monitor the functions of the projection unit. A plurality of projection units may be networked to the central computer to allow central control and monitoring of each of the projection advertising displays. The method provides for obtaining long-term agreements for the use of the projection surfaces and the sites for mounting the projection units.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/417,569, filed on May 3, 2006, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,872,643. Priority to the aforementioned application is hereby expressly claimed in accordance with 35 U.S.C. §§119, 120 and any other applicable statutes and the contents of the aforementioned application is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The field of the invention generally relates to advertising displays, and more particularly to a system and method for a digital projection advertising display. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Several systems for projecting advertising images onto a display surface, including for outdoor advertising such as billboards, have been previously described. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,570,138, describes a projected advertising system having a retractable projection screen which is implemented onto a standard fixed billboard. The fixed billboard image is displayed during the daytime. During the nighttime, the projection screen is automatically unrolled in front of the fixed billboard image and a projector placed in front of the screen is used to project advertising images onto the screen. The system can be controlled by photoelectric light sensors or remotely controlled via radio wave signals. Similar systems utilizing display screens and projectors are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,198,066; 3,020,798; and 2,491,184. 
     There are many advantages of a projection advertising display over a fixed image advertising display. For one, the image can be more easily changed by simply changing the projected image rather than having to physically replace the conventional static advertisement adhered to the advertising surface (such as a billboard, poster, painting, etc.). In addition, moving video images can be displayed, whereas a fixed image display can at best display one of several images (for example by rotating panels, or reeling a screen). 
     Video advertising has been implemented on video displays such as LED screens, LCD screens and plasma TV screens, but such screen technology is very expensive and the screen sizes are generally limited to being much smaller than typical outdoor billboards. 
     A digital projection advertising image has several advantages over the aforementioned systems. The image from a relatively small projector can be made very large with the use of lenses; moreover, a large image can be projected at a fraction of the cost of a comparably-sized LED or LCD display. In addition, it is possible to project the image directly onto the exterior surface of an existing building such that there is very little physical infrastructure cost as with building a billboard or mounting a screen. Thus, the real estate is not physically affected as with other types of video or static billboard advertising. 
     Indeed, a limited amount of projected video advertising has been previously done by projecting the advertising image onto an exterior surface of a building using a projector placed on or in an adjacent building. The image is projected directly onto the building wall without the use of a screen. However, all such projected video advertising has been done either illegitimately without permission of the property owners or more rarely, as temporary event advertisements. Because such advertisements are being placed illegally, the projector requires local control of their operation with at least one person remaining on-site to monitor and protect the projector. This also requires that the projector be easily moved in the event of detection by unreceptive property owners. Because of the impermanence of such advertisements, the projectors have not been designed to withstand prolonged exposure to outdoor environmental conditions and the projection display cannot be offered to an advertiser on a long-term or even permanent basis. 
     Accordingly, there is need for a digital projection advertising display system and method which overcomes the shortcomings and disadvantages of previous systems and methods. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a system and method for providing a digital projection advertising display and display network which can withstand outdoor environmental conditions, allows for remote operation and monitoring, and provides for long-term, legitimate projected advertising onto third-party structures such as an external or indoor wall surface. The projection system of the present invention comprises a projection unit having a weatherproof housing which encloses a projector and a microcomputer, such as a laptop computer. The projection unit may be a video projection unit capable of projecting moving images and/or static images or it may be only capable of projecting static images. The projection unit may also include an environmental control system for controlling the environmental conditions of the interior of the housing, such as the temperature and the humidity. 
     The projector is operatively coupled to the microcomputer such that the microcomputer can control the operation of the projector. The microcomputer can control all or most of the projector functions, such as turning the projector on/off, delivering the advertising content to be projected to the projector and resizing the projected image. The environmental control system may comprise an independent controller, but it is preferably also operatively coupled to the microcomputer. 
     The video projection unit may also include a monitoring camera which is aimed at the image being projected by the system. The monitoring camera is used to check the integrity of the image on the projection surface, such as a wall of an adjacent building, to monitor for irregularities in the advertising image, such as obstructions in the projected light, or changes in the projection surface (such as graffiti). The monitoring camera is operatively coupled to the microcomputer. 
     The microcomputer is networked to a remote computer or server. The remote computer can be used to remotely monitor the function and condition of the projection system, such as the environmental conditions and the advertising being projected. The remote computer can also be used to remotely control the functions of the projection system, to transfer advertising content to the microcomputer of the projection system and to check the images acquired by the monitoring camera. The projection system may also include a traffic monitoring device which is operatively connected to the microcomputer to monitor car or foot traffic, or other advertising metering characteristics. 
     In a further innovative aspect of the present invention, legal agreements are obtained for the long-term, legitimate use of the projection surface and the site for mounting the projection system. Leases or other similar agreements are obtained from third-party property owners for the use of the projection surface and the location for mounting the projection systems. In this way, the projection system may be mounted permanently or semi-permanently to the location. Then, agreements with advertisers are obtained for the display of projected advertising over a set period of time. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is schematic representation of a digital projection advertising display system according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a side perspective view of a video projection unit according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of the projection unit of  FIG. 2  with the top open. 
         FIG. 4  is a rear perspective view of the projection unit of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5  is a flow chart of a temperature control scheme for a digital projection advertising display system according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a flow chart of an exemplary method of providing advertising via a digital projection advertising display according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Turning to  FIG. 1 , a digital projection advertising display system  10  according to the present invention is depicted in a block diagram representation. The video projection system  10  comprises a plurality of video projection units  12 , each having a microcomputer  16  which is connected to a central computer or server  18  over a computer network  20 . The computer network  20  may be a dedicated wide area network, local area network, wireless network, a TCP/IP network or virtual private network operating over the internet, or other suitable network for the computers to communicate with each other. 
     The video projection unit  12  comprises a housing  14  which encloses a video projector  22 , an environmental control system  24 , a monitoring camera  26 , a traffic monitoring device  28 , and the microcomputer  16 . The video projector  22  may be any suitable video projector for projecting still or video images, but it is preferably a high-power video projector capable of projecting high resolution images having a resolution of at least 1024×768 pixels, and still more preferably capable of projecting images of reasonable viewing brightness and clarity at the size of a typical billboard, for example, 14 by 48 feet (60 sheet), 12 by 24 feet (30-sheet) or 5 by 11 feet (8-sheet). However, for indoor uses as contemplated by the present invention, a video projector having less power may effectively be utilized and there may not be a need for an environmental control system  24 . 
     The projection unit  12  is mounted at a location on or in a building  50 , such as the building rooftop or on the indoor wall of a building. The projection unit  12  is bolted or otherwise securely affixed to the structure of the building  50 , such that it is secured from theft. The projector  22  projects a video image  40  onto a projection surface  54  of an adjacent building  52 . For an indoor application of the system  10 , the projection surface  54  may be an indoor wall, ceiling, floor, window, projection screen, or other suitable display surface. 
     The environmental control system  24  comprises environmental condition sensors (not shown) and a temperature and humidity control (not shown). The sensors include temperature sensors which measure the temperature of the inside of the housing  14  and the ambient temperature surrounding the projection unit  12 . Humidity sensors may also be utilized to measure the humidity inside and outside the housing  14 . The temperature control may simply comprise a fan and a vent  30  (see  FIG. 4 ) in the housing  14 . The vent  30  may have motorized shutters  31  which can open to allow air to pass through the vent  30  or close to seal the vent  30 . An electric heater is also provided to heat the air within the projection unit  12  when subjected to cold ambient conditions. The operation of the fan, shutters and heater may be controlled by the environmental control system  24  or by the microcomputer  16 . The environmental control system  24  is operatively connected to the microcomputer  16 . Alternatively, the temperature control system can comprise a refrigeration and/or heater unit which can cool or heat the air within the projection unit  12 . The environmental control system also includes a dehumidifier for controlling the humidity of the air within the projection unit  12 . An exemplary temperature control scheme is shown in  FIG. 5 . This control scheme will control the humidity and temperature within the projection unit  12  to acceptable operating conditions for the components within the projection unit  12 , especially the projector  22 , the monitoring camera  26  and the microcomputer  16 . 
     The microcomputer  16  is a typical computer such as a laptop computer having input/output connections operatively connected to the projector  22 , the environmental control system  24 , the monitoring camera  26 , and the traffic monitoring device  28 . The microcomputer  16  controls the function of each of these devices and also receives images and data from these devices and transmits them over the computer network  20  to the central computer  18 . The microcomputer may also perform diagnostic checks on each of these devices. 
     The microcomputer  16  also receives instructions and advertising images from the central computer  18 . With respect to the projector  22 , the microcomputer  16  controls all or most of the projector functions, including turning the projector on/off, delivering the advertising content in the form of image data to the projector, and moving and sizing the projected image. As for the environmental control system  24 , the microcomputer  16  controls the function of each of the components of the environmental control system  24  according to the specified control scheme, such as the scheme shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     The microcomputer  16  also receives the images  42  acquired by the monitoring camera  26 . The microcomputer  16  may include monitoring software which can determine if there is a problem with the image  42  received by the monitoring camera  26 , such as an obstruction. If there is a problem with the image  42 , the microcomputer  16  may adjust the projector  22  or send a warning signal to the central computer  18 . Also, the microcomputer  16  can send the image received from the monitoring camera  26  to the central computer  18  where it can be checked automatically using the computer or it can be viewed by an operator who can check the integrity of the image. If a problem is detected at the central computer  18 , instructions can be sent by the computer or the operator to the microcomputer  16  or to a service technician who can then perform adjustments, corrections or repairs on-site at the projection unit  12 . 
     The microcomputer  16  also receives data signals from the traffic monitoring device  28 . The traffic monitoring device  28  may be any suitable device for detecting, tracking or otherwise monitoring potential and/or actual viewing of the projected image. Such devices may include infra-red sensors which can detect car or human movements, sound detectors which can detect traffic noise or the like. The microcomputer  16  receives the data, analyzes the data, and sends the raw data and results of the analyzed data to the central computer  18 . The data may then be further analyzed and used for commercial purposes, such as marketing, price setting, and reporting. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 2-4 , the details of the projection unit  12  will now be described. The housing  14  comprises a weatherproof, box-like structure which is made of metal, such as steel or aluminum, plastic or other suitable material. The housing  14  has a cover  60  which is mounted on hinges so that it can be tilted to an open position as shown in  FIG. 3 . The housing  14  also has a latch which can be locked with a lock to prevent access to the inside of the housing  14 . This protects the interior components of the projection unit  12  from theft or vandalism. The housing  14  has seals, such as resilient gaskets or trim, along the seams and openings to seal the interior of the housing  14  from the outside weather conditions. An indoor projection unit  12  may not have all of these features because it is not exposed to outdoor weather conditions. For example, seals and an environmental control system  24  may not be required. 
     At the front  66  of the housing  14  are two openings  62  and  64  for the projector  22  and the monitoring camera  28 , respectively. The openings have shades  67  and  68 , respectively, to prevent glare from distorting the images. The openings  62  and  64  are preferably covered by a transparent material such as glass or Plexiglas. 
     Within the housing  14 , the projector  22  is located adjacent the opening  62 , the monitoring camera is adjacent the opening  64  and the environmental control system is adjacent the vent  30 . The traffic monitoring camera  28  is located near the front  66  of the housing  14  adjacent a third opening  65  in the front  66  of the housing  14 . Alternatively, the traffic monitoring camera  28  may be disposed somewhere remote from the projection unit  12  where the camera  28  can more easily detect the traffic of interest. The monitoring camera  28  is then operatively connected to the microcomputer  16  or the central computer by methods known by those of ordinary skill in the art (e.g. wireless RF or IR communication). 
     The microcomputer  16  may be located anywhere within the housing  14  such that it can be operatively connected to each of the other components within the housing  14 . It is also desirable to place the microcomputer where it can be fairly easily accessed when the cover  60  to the housing  14  is open. 
     At the rear  69  of the housing  14 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , the vent  30  and shutters  31  are provided. A swiveling mounting bracket  70  is rotatably attached to each side of the housing  14 . The mounting bracket  70  has a mounting plate  72  which may be bolted or otherwise securely affixed to a structure. The rotatable attachment of the bracket  70  to the housing  14  allows the projection unit  12  to be swiveled in a vertical plane to aim the projection unit  12  in the desired direction and also allows the bracket to be attached to any of a horizontal surface, a vertical surface or an angled surface. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 6 , the method  90  of providing advertising via a projection advertising display system  10  begins with step  100 , finding a desirable projection surface  54  for the video projection display. The projection surface  54  may be the exterior wall of a building, or the interior or exterior wall of event venues (like stadiums and arenas), subway systems, airports, shopping malls or other structure having a large surface upon which an image may be projected. Finding a suitable projection site at step  200  may be performed before, after or simultaneously with step  100 , as both steps  100  and  200  are both required in order to accomplish the method  90 . 
     Once a projection surface  54  and projection site have been identified, agreements must be negotiated to utilize the real estate at steps  300  and  400 . It is desirable to obtain long-term leases for use of the projection surface and the projection site so that the advertising space can be sold for specified periods, such as 6 months or 12 months or 1 year or longer. Compensation for the use of the projection advertising display, site can be structured as a flat fee, a periodic payment, or based upon the compensation received from the sale of advertising on the particular display or network of displays. As discussed above, when the projection surface is not being used as the “display screen,” the surface is entirely unaffected by the video projection display system. 
     Such long-term agreements for the space and the advertising provide many advantages. For example, the display of advertising over a period of time allows the ability to estimate impressions and effectiveness of the advertising over a period of time rather than the short viewing periods afforded by illegitimate or special event projected advertisements. It also facilitates marketing of the advertising space because a particular location which has certain geographic qualities may make the projection advertising display site more or less attractive to certain advertisers. In other words, the projection advertising display site can be targeted to certain advertisers because the site has been locked up with long-term agreements. The projection advertising display system can also be installed securely and permanently or semi-permanently. In this way, the projection system can be left unattended and can be controlled remotely. 
     At step  500 , in jurisdictions where necessary, permits are obtained for projecting the projection display system onto the projection surface and/or for mounting the projection system. At step  600 , advertising to be displayed by the projection system is marketed and sold to advertisers, such as advertising agencies or directly to entities desiring to advertise their businesses. Step  600  may be performed at any step within the method  10 . For example, step  600  could be performed first (i.e. prior to step  100 ), and the advertiser may specify a desired geographic area or even a particular building or projection surface. In this fashion, the sale of the advertising may be contingent on the ability to perform steps  100 - 500 . In another example, step  600  could be performed after step  200 , such that the advertising deal is contingent upon performing steps  300 - 500 . Or step  600  could precede step  700 , such that a projection system is not installed until the advertising is sold. This avoids the capital expense of installing the system if advertising cannot be sold for some reason. 
     Once agreements for use of the projection surface and projection site are obtained, and permits if necessary, then the projection advertising display system is installed at step  700 . Now, the system is operated to project the projection advertising image from the projection site onto the projection surface at step  800 . Also, data from the projection advertising display is collected and analyzed, including the data from the traffic monitoring device  28 . Then, at step  900 , the data can be used for various purposes, including adjusting the advertising content, evaluating the impressions and effectiveness of the advertising over a period of time, and also for marketing and pricing of the advertising space. 
     While the present invention has been fully described above with particularity and detail in connection with what is presently deemed to be the invention, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications thereof may be made without departing from the principles and concepts set forth herein. Hence, the proper scope of the present invention should be determined only by the broadest interpretation of the appended claims so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalents.