Abstract:
An improved advertising system can include a location having a substantially large expanse of living greenery, a predetermined design for an advertisement, and a chlorophyll-based agent. The location can be observable by viewers at a predefined minimum viewing distance. The chlorophyll-based agent can be used to paint the predetermined design on the living greenery. The chlorophyll-based agent can be non-detrimental to the health of the living greenery. The predetermined design painted on the living greenery with the chlorophyll-based agent can be only viewable by viewers at the predefined minimum viewing distance. Living greenery treated with the chlorophyll-based agent can be visibly distinguishable from and shinier than neighboring untreated living greenery. When a viewer is nearer than the minimum predefined viewing distance, a difference in shine and color between the treated living greenery and the untreated living greenery can be substantially unnoticeable.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This is a continuation in part application of PCT/US16/24930 titled “A CHLOROPHYLL-BASED AGENT FOR MARKING LIVING GREENERY” (Filed Mar. 30, 2016), which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to the field of botanical treatments and, more particularly, to unobtrusive markings made using a chlorophyll-based agent. 
         [0003]    Marking living greenery like grass and shrubs is common practice for a variety of reasons, such as sports, orienteering, surveying, art, and advertising. Conventionally, these markings are applied to the living greenery using a semi-permanent chalk-like powder or a permanent paint. Unfortunately, most conventional means are destructive to the living greenery and/or its environment. 
         [0004]    Further, markings made using conventional means are viewable by everyone and often distract or detract from the natural environment. For example, sponsor or advertisement markings on a sports field are viewable by fans in the stands and the players. As the players move around the field, the markings can be distracting, so the quantity and placement of the markings are often limited or disallowed. This results in large areas of the sports field that are deemed unusable for this purpose, which translates into lost revenue opportunities. 
         [0005]    Similarly, living greenery is routinely marked by survey crews to identify boundaries, the location of utility lines, and the like. In addition to paints, a variety of ties and stake markers are often used so as to not destroy the living greenery with paint. However, ties and stake markers are easily removed or deteriorated by environmental conditions. For example, a neon orange plastic strip tied to a tree branch is susceptible to damage from sun, rain, and wind. Further, such markings are non-biodegradable and disrupt the natural beauty of the surroundings. 
         [0006]    Therefore, what is needed is a permanent means of marking living greenery that is only noticeable from a distance by viewers and is non-detrimental to the overall health of the living greenery and its environment. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0007]    One aspect of the present invention can include an improved advertising system. Such a system can include a location having a substantially large expanse of living greenery, a predetermined design for an advertisement, and a chlorophyll-based agent. The location can be observable by viewers at a predefined minimum viewing distance. The chlorophyll-based agent can be used to paint the predetermined design on the living greenery. The chlorophyll-based agent can be non-detrimental to the health of the living greenery. The predetermined design painted on the living greenery with the chlorophyll-based agent can be only viewable by viewers at the predefined minimum viewing distance. Living greenery treated with the chlorophyll-based agent can be visibly distinguishable from and shinier than neighboring untreated living greenery. When a viewer is nearer than the minimum predefined viewing distance, a difference in shine and color between the treated living greenery and the untreated living greenery can be substantially unnoticeable. 
         [0008]    Another aspect of the present invention can include an improved sports venue that includes a sports field comprised of living greenery upon which a sport is played and decorations painted onto the living greenery of the sports field with a chlorophyll-based agent. The chlorophyll-based agent can be non-detrimental to the health of the living greenery. The decoration can be substantially unnoticeable by persons involved with the sport on the sports field. 
         [0009]    Yet another aspect of the present invention can include an improved survey system that includes a survey location having an area of living greenery and survey markings made on the living greenery with chlorophyll-based agent. The location can be observable by viewers at a predefined minimum viewing distance. The chlorophyll-based agent can be non-detrimental to the health of the living greenery. The survey markings can be only viewable by viewers at the predefined minimum viewing distance. Living greenery treated with the chlorophyll-based agent can be visibly distinguishable from and shinier than neighboring untreated living greenery. When a viewer is nearer than the minimum predefined viewing distance, a difference in shine and color between the treated living greenery and the untreated living greenery can be substantially unnoticeable. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a system illustrating the use of distance-visible markings made with a chlorophyll-based agent upon living greenery in accordance with embodiments of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a diagram graphically illustrating the use of markings made with the chlorophyll-based agent in a sports setting in accordance with embodiments of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a diagram graphically illustrating the use of markings made with the chlorophyll-based agent in a survey setting in accordance with embodiments of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]    The present invention discloses an unobtrusive way to paint advertisements on areas of living greenery like a sports field. An advertisement or sponsor logo can be painted on living greenery using a chlorophyll-based agent. The chlorophyll-based agent can create a shiny, green-tinted coating that is viewable from a predefined viewing distance and is unnoticeable by those on the living greenery. 
         [0014]    As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the present invention may be embodied as a system or method. Aspects of the present invention are described below with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods and apparatus (systems) according to embodiments of the invention. 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a system  100  illustrating distance-visible markings  115  made with a chlorophyll-based agent  110  upon living greenery  105  in accordance with embodiments of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. Living greenery, as used herein, can refer to green-colored plants and/or plant elements. 
         [0016]    The living greenery  105  can represent an area of green vegetation and/or plant life. Examples of living greenery can include, but are not limited to, ground cover plants, grass, moss, ivy, the foliage of a tree, the foliage of a bush, the foliage of a shrub, the foliage of a plant, a non-woody plant stem, and the like. 
         [0017]    The living greenery  105  can be a part of and/or associated with a different types of locations, outdoor as well as indoor. Examples of such locations can include, but are not limited to, a sports venue (e.g., soccer field, baseball field, etc.), an entertainment venue, an agricultural area, a forest, a nature park, a pasture, a rainforest, and the like. 
         [0018]    The chlorophyll-based agent  110  can be product that utilizes natural chlorophyll to create a distance-visible marking  115  on the living greenery  105  like that taught in PCT/US15/23345. The distance-visible marking  115  can be a shiny, green-tinted coating that is only visible to a viewers  130  at a predefined viewing distance  135 . The distance-visible markings  115  can be used in a variety of configurations or designs for various reasons. For example, the distance-visible markings  115  can represent an advertisement for a business on a sports field or a boundary for a habitat survey being conducted in a wildlife area. 
         [0019]    The chlorophyll-based agent  110  can be permanent, yet non-detrimental to the health of the underlying living greenery  105 . That is, unlike conventional paints and dyes used on living greenery  105 , the chlorophyll-based agent  110  can allow the living greenery  120  of the distance-visible markings  115  to function normally. This can be achieved through a unique formulation that allows the formation of voids in the coating of the chlorophyll-based agent  110  that allow sunlight to reach the leaf without reducing the effectiveness of the chlorophyll-based agent  110 . 
         [0020]    For example, grass  105  treated with the chlorophyll-based agent  110  can continue to grow naturally. A conventional grass paint can inhibit the ability of the grass  105  to breathe and photosynthesize, causing the grass  105  to die. 
         [0021]    Like many conventional marking treatments, the chlorophyll-based agent  110  can be removed from the living greenery  105  via removal or pruning. For example, a logo  115  applied to grass  105  can be removed from a sports field when the portion of the grass blades  105  coated by the chlorophyll-based agent  110  are severed during mowing. 
         [0022]    The chlorophyll-based agent  110  can be applied to the living greenery  105  using an application means that is commensurate with the specific formulation of the chlorophyll-based agent  110 . Examples of application means can include, but are not limited to, a brush, a spray can or bottle, a pneumatic sprayer, a roller, a machine that utilizes one or more of these means, and the like. One liter of the chlorophyll-based agent  110  can be used to coat 16 square meters of living greenery  105 . 
         [0023]    Viewers  120  and/or  130  can be expected to observe and/or participate in activities performed upon the living greenery  105 . Viewers  120  and  130  can represent optical receivers like human eyes, photographic cameras and/or video cameras. Depending on their current position upon or around the living greenery  105 , the viewers  120  and  130  can have a respective viewing distance  125  and  135  to the distance-visible marking  115 . 
         [0024]    Viewers  120  can represent those people or optical equipment that are on the living greenery  105 . For example, viewers  120  can be the players of sport, television cameras on a sports field, or the visitors to a state park. To emphasize the novelty of the distance-visible markings  115  made with the chlorophyll-based agent  110 , viewers  120  can have a viewing distance  125  that is closer than the minimum viewable distance of the chlorophyll-based agent  110 , about one meter, like people walking or running on a field. At this viewing distance  125 , the distance-visible marking  115  can be substantially unobtrusive to the viewers  120 . That is, the distance-visible marking  115  can go unnoticed by viewers  120  closer than the minimum viewing distance  125 . 
         [0025]    Viewers  130  can represent those people or optical equipment that are located on or around the living greenery  105 , but at a greater viewing distance  135  from the distance-visible marking  115  than viewers  120  that is within the viewing range (i.e., between 1 meter and 549 meters) of the chlorophyll-based agent  110 . For example, viewers  130  can represent sports fans in the stands of an arena, television cameras in the stands of the sports arena, or a low-flying aircraft. 
         [0026]    At this viewing distance  135  and with a viewing angle of at least 20°, these viewers  130  can see the distance-visible markings  115  and any pattern, image, and/or text that the markings  115  represent. 
         [0027]    While the concepts taught in system  100  may appear ordinary, it can be important to emphasize the novelty that this change in visibility at different viewing distances  125  and  135  provides. Conventional marking agents for living greenery  105  can be visible to all viewers  120  and  130  at most viewing distances  125  and  135 , though clarity of the design may vary. For example, when the name  115  of a team sponsor is applied to a soccer field  105  using conventional paint, the name  115  can be clearly seen at distance  135  by people  130  in the stands and by cameras  130 . Players  120  on the field can also see the painted grass  115  on the field  105 , though they may be unable to discern the name. This painted grass  115  can be distracting to the players  120 , so such markings may be limited or disallowed. 
         [0028]    Applying the sponsor name  115  using the chlorophyll-based agent  110  can result in the people  130  in the stands and cameras  130  being able to view the name  115  at a distance  135  without the players  120  on the field  105  noticing the name  115 . Since the chlorophyll-based agent  110  is not distracting to the players  120 , areas of the field  105  can be used for advertising, increasing revenue for the team and/or field. 
         [0029]      FIG. 2  is a diagram  200  graphically illustrating the use of markings made with the chlorophyll-based agent in a sports setting in accordance with embodiments of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. Diagram  200  can represent a specific embodiment of system  100 . 
         [0030]    The sports field  205  can be comprised of living greenery, most likely a variety of grass. At one or more locations, a sponsor logo  210  can be applied to the grass of the sports field  205  using the chlorophyll-based agent. Alternately, the sponsor logo  210  can be replaced with the team name or any other desired element. 
         [0031]    When a sporting event is played on the sports field  205 , one or more sports players  215  can move around on the sports field  205 . It can be likely for a sports player  215  to pass over an area having a sponsor logo  210  during this event. The sports player&#39;s  215  field of vision can include the sponsor logo  210 . The viewing distance  230  (i.e., the distance from their eyes to the logo  210 ) of the sports player  215  can be relatively small (i.e., around one meter), allowing the logo  210  to appear unnoticeable to the sports player  215 , since this is within the “unnoticeable” range of the chlorophyll-based agent. 
         [0032]    Players  215  down field, such as a goalie, would also not notice the same logo  210 , despite being outside the “unnoticeable” range, because such a player  215  would have a viewing angle  235  smaller than 20°. Therefore, logos  210  or other designs painted on the sports field  205  with the chlorophyll-based agent can be virtually invisible to the players  215 . 
         [0033]    Viewers  220  of the sporting event can be situated farther away from and above the sports field  205  can be able to see the various sponsor logos  210 . Viewers  220  standing on the field  205  or at a height that does not provide the minimum 20° viewing angle  235  can be unable to adequately view the sponsor logos  210 . 
         [0034]      FIG. 3  is a diagram  300  graphically illustrating the use of markings made with the chlorophyll-based agent in a survey setting in accordance with embodiments of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. Diagram  300  can represent a specific embodiment of system  100 . 
         [0035]    In diagram  300 , a habitat or wildlife survey can be conducted within a nature preserve area  305  like a state park or forest preserve. The nature preserve area  305  can include areas having living greenery, such as grass, undergrowth, shrubs, and other plant-life. The boundaries  310  of the nature preserve area  305  being surveyed can be marked using the chlorophyll-based agent. 
         [0036]    Since many nature preserve areas  305  are open to the public, it can be possible for visitors  315  to the nature preserve area  305  to walk through and/or utilize space within the survey area. In this example, visitors  315  can have a picnic in an open field that is within the survey boundary markings  310 . As in the illustration  200 , the viewing distance  320  (i.e., the distance from their eyes to the boundary marking  310 ) of the visitors  315  can be relatively small (i.e., around one meter), allowing the boundary marking  310  to be relatively unnoticeable to the visitors  315 . 
         [0037]    A surveyor  325  conducting the survey on foot can view the survey boundary markings  310 , provided that their viewing distance  330  to the boundary marking  310  remains greater than the minimum viewing distance of the chlorophyll-based agent and their a viewing angle does not drop below than 20°. Similarly, an aerial surveyor  335 , person and/or camera, can view the survey boundary markings  310  from a much greater viewing distance  340  that does not exceed the maximum viewing range of the chlorophyll-based agent, about 549 meters, such as a helicopter or small aircraft. 
         [0038]    This example can emphasize how markings  310  made with the chlorophyll-based agent are not only unobtrusive to the visitors  315 , but the markings also do not detract from the beauty of the nature preserve area  305 . That is, even if the visitors  315  move to a position where they are able to view the boundary markings  310 , the subtle green tint of the chlorophyll-based agent can be more aesthetically pleasing than conventional marking products. 
         [0039]    Other contemplated embodiments of the present invention can capitalize upon the non-destructive nature of the chlorophyll-based agent for use at longer distances, like the aerial surveyor  335 . For example, the chlorophyll-based agent can be used to mark landing zones and directions for low-altitude outdoor sports like hang gliding and soaring. These permanent, but non-destructive markings can increase reusability, saving an instructor or operator time. 
         [0040]    Another, related embodiment can utilize the chlorophyll-based agent as a landscaping treatment to boost highlights in an area or display. 
         [0041]    The diagrams in the Figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems and methods according to various embodiments of the present invention. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.