Abstract:
The present invention relates generally to a method and system of advertising, and more particularly to a method and system of advertising that involves projection of a logo or advertisement from a drinking glass. The logo or advertisement projecting glassware has a light source that projects the inserted film when the glass is lifted. And the projection is turned off when the glassware is placed on a solid surface. This device allows for a new way to advertise. Unlike traditional advertisement printed on a glass, the advertisement is not permanent and can be switched. It is also visible in dark environments such as bars

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates generally to a method and system of advertising, and more particularly to a method and system of advertising that involves projection of advertisement from illumination equipment that is installed on the bottom of drinking glassware. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    In the past a company could only print their logo directly on the item. Advancement in technology has enabled the advertisement industry to switch from the static and permanent product images directly printed on a piece of item or board to the dynamic electronic product images projected onto a piece of item or board for advertisement. Illumination technology has been widely used in many areas for entertaining and advertising purpose. One advantage of using illumination technology is that the advertisement content can be easily switched than the printed content and thus advertisement using illumination technology is more diversified, flexible and can be more affordable. 
         [0005]    Therefore, it would be desirable to have a different advertising method and system for choice. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    One object of the present invention is to provide an additional advertising method and system. 
         [0007]    Another object of the present invention is to provide an innovative way of displaying electronic logo in a dark environment. 
         [0008]    Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an advertisement system that allows easy switching of advertisement content. 
         [0009]    Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an advertisement system that is low cost. 
         [0010]    The light up glass of the present invention provides a new way to display electronic logs or advertisement through drinking glassware. It provides an innovative way of displaying electronic logos or advertisement in a dark environment using illumination equipment installed on the bottom of drinking glassware rather than a standard logo printed on a glass that is hard to see in a dark environment like a bar. Unlike a typical advertisement that a logo is permanently printed on a glass, the light up glass of the present invention can be used to do advertisement for different merchants using the same glassware because the advertisement content can be easily switched by replacing the logo/advertisement film member. This advertisement system is low in cost. 
         [0011]    The light can be automatically turned off when the drinking glassware is put on the table to save energy. Beside for advertisement, the glassware can be used to send personal message such as greeting for happy birthday, etc. 
         [0012]    The light up glass in accordance with the present invention are acrylic glass, pilsner, shot or shotter and are installed a light in the base that projects a logo on a flat surface when the light up glass piece is picked up. There is a switch on the bottom that is activated when the glass is picked up. 
         [0013]    The light up glass of the present invention comprises at least one light source, at least one power source, at least one logo or advertisement film member which contains logo or advertisement information, and at least one housing to enclose these components. The housing including the foregoing components is attached to the bottom of typical drinking glassware. Any light source suited for the intended purpose will suffice, such as, but not limited to light-emitting diodes (LED&#39;s), fiber optics, halogen, incandescent, laser, fluorescent, magnetic, and the like. The light up glass further comprises a pressure sensitive switch connected between the power source and light source to control on/off of the light source. The pressure sensitive switch is triggered by the weight of the glassware. When the glassware is put on the table, the switch is triggered to turn off the light source; when the glassware is picked up, the switch is triggered to turn on the light source. Then the light shines through the logo/advertisement film membrane and projects onto a solid surface including but not limited to a table surface. 
         [0014]    Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
         [0015]    As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
         [0016]    The foregoing has outlined, rather broadly, the preferred feature of the present invention so that those skilled in the art may better understand the detailed description of the invention that follows. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter that form the subject of the claims of the invention. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they can readily use the disclosed conception and specific embodiment as a basis for designing or modifying other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention and that such other structures do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0017]    Other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description, the appended claim, and the accompanying drawings in which similar elements are given similar reference numerals. 
           [0018]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the light up glass in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 2  is a transparent side view of the bottom of the glassware of  FIG. 1  showing each component and chambers and how they are relative to each other. 
           [0020]      FIG. 3 . is a bottom view of the light up glass in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention without a lid and logo film chamber present. 
           [0021]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the light up glass which projects a company&#39;s logo onto a solid surface below the acrylic glass when the item is lifted. 
           [0022]      FIG. 5  is another perspective view of the light up glass which projects a company&#39;s logo onto a solid surface below the acrylic glass when the item is lifted. 
           [0023]      FIG. 6  is another perspective view of the light up glass which projects a company&#39;s logo onto a solid surface below the acrylic glass when the item is lifted. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0024]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , there is disclosed a side view of a light up glass  10  in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The light up glass  10  comprises mainly of two parts: glass body  1  and glass bottom  2 .  FIG. 2  shows that the glass base  2  further comprises 3 chambers from top to bottom: power source chamber  21 , light source chamber  22 , and logo film chamber  23 . A power source chamber  21  has a recess with a positive  32  and negative terminal  33  for receiving the power source  31 . A positive wire lead  34  connects the positive terminal  32  to the light source  37  through a wire channel  36 . A negative wire lead  35  connects the negative terminal  32  to the light source  37  through the wire channel  36 . The positive wire lead  34  and the negative wire lead  35  also connect to a pressure on/off switch  40 . The light source  37  sits in a recess inside the light source chamber  22 . 
         [0025]    All the chambers including the power source  21 , light source  22  and logo film  23  chambers are sealed and water proof. In another embodiment, the power source chamber  21 , light source chamber  22 , and may be arranged on the same layer. In another embodiment, the power source chamber  21  and light source chamber  22  may be combined as one single chamber, thus the power source  31  and light source  37  are in proximity. The chamber is sealed and water proof. Thus, there is no need of a wire channel  36  to protect the wire lead  34 ,  35  that connect the power source  31  and light source  37 . 
         [0026]    A logo film chamber  23  is below the light source chamber  22 . The logo film  38  can be placed in the logo film chamber  23 . Different logo films  38  may be used and switched out from the logo film chamber  23 . A lid  24  is placed below the logo film chamber  23  to cover the logo film  38 . The lid  24  is actually the bottom surface of the light up glass  10  that touches the table surface. 
         [0027]    When the pressure on/off switch  40  is pressed in due to the weight of the light up glass  10  that is placed on a table surface, the circuitry between the light source  37  and the power source  31  are opened/disconnected so that the light source  37  will not be receiving power and will be off. When the light up glass  10  is lifted up, the pressure on/off switch  40  is not pressed in, the circuitry between the light source  37  and the power source  31  are closed/connected so the light source  37  will be powered on. 
         [0028]    The glass base  2  should be sealed and water resistant so the inside electrical components are not exposed and damaged by the surrounding liquids. 
         [0029]    In another embodiment, there may be a button channel  39  that passes through the logo film chamber  23 , lid  24  allowing the pressure on/off button  40  to pass through these chambers. 
         [0030]    The glass body  1  and the housing of the glass bottom  2  may be made of acrylic or any other material suitable or known in the art for making drink containers. The drink container may be shaped as pilsner, glass, shot, shooter or other different shapes and have different volumes. The light up glass  10  may be made from molds of different shapes and volumes. 
         [0031]    Any light source  37  suited for the intended purpose will suffice, such as, but not limited to light-emitting diodes (LED&#39;s), fiber optics, halogen, incandescent, laser, fluorescent, magnetic, and the like. 
         [0032]    The partition  23   a  between the light chamber  22  and logo film chamber  23  and the lid  24  are constructed from transparent materials for allowing the light to transmit through. When the glassware  10  is picked up, the pressure sensitive button  40  is turned on, the light transmits through the partition  23   a  into the logo film chamber  23  and partially and selectively transmits through the logo film  38  and develops the light pattern of the logo. This light pattern continuously transmits through the transparent lid  24  and projects onto the solid surface including a dining table surface, a bar table surface or a surrounding wall. 
         [0033]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , there is disclosed a bottom view of a light up glass  10  according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention with removal of the lid  24  and logo film chamber  23 . It is observed that a light  37  (e.g. LED) is located in the center of the glass bottom  2 . In this embodiment, the pressure sensitive switch  40  is located inside the light source chamber  22  near the perimeter. The roof  41  of the light source chamber  22  may be made of a non-transparent material so that the light won&#39;t be diffused and transmit to the unwanted direction. Alternatively, the light chamber  22  of transparent material may contain a piece of non-transparent material  42  to cover the roof, thus blocking the light transmit towards the unwanted direction. 
         [0034]    The logo films  38  may contain company&#39;s logos or advertisement images or personal messages such as greetings or congratulations. Then the light shines through the logo film, the light up glass  10  project a company&#39;s logo onto a solid surface below the acrylic glass when the glass is lifted. Referring to  FIGS. 4-6 , there are disclosed perspective views of the light up glass which projects a company&#39;s logo onto a solid surface below the acrylic glass when the item is lifted. 
         [0035]    In another embodiment, the light up glass  10  may be made of one single unit mold with the logo already built into the bottom of the glass. In another embodiment, the light up glass  10  may contain a removable lid  24  so that the logo film  38  may be switched to provide advertisement for different merchants. 
         [0036]    The power source  31  may be batteries, such as rechargeable battery or solar powered rechargeable battery. The components such as power source  31  and Light source  37  may be already built in the light up glass  10  and cannot be replaced. In another embodiment, these components may be replaced. 
         [0037]    In another embodiment, the light up glass  10  may project the logo image up into the liquid inside the glass instead of showing the logo on a flat surface below. In this embodiment, the logo film  38  is installed above the light source  37  instead of below the light source  37 . 
         [0038]    While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention and not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments discussed were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are entitled.