Abstract:
A system for the application of an image to an upper surface of a built structure, the image arranged for visibility from over-flying craft. An upper surface of a built structure incorporating indicia thereon or therein; the indicia constructed so as to be discernable by observers in craft passing over the built structure when the craft is within a predetermined legibility distance of the built structure.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/314,116, filed Dec. 6, 2002 entitled “METHOD OF ALLOCATING ADVERTISING SPACE AND SYSTEM THEREFOR”, which is incorporated in its entirety by reference. This application also claims the benefit of Australian Provisional Patent Application No. PR9361 entitled “A METHOD OF ALLOCATING ADVERTISING SPACE AND SYSTEM THEREFOR” filed Dec. 7, 2001. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to the commercialization and application of images on roof surfaces for the purpose of advertising products, services, corporate names or the like to viewers in over-flying craft or the like.  
         [0004]     In the competitive world of advertising there is a continual search for available space which may be used to bring a product, service or corporate name to the attention of the public. In many cases this drive to advertise has led to an overcrowding of signage in public places, often to the detriment of the environment and a devaluation of impact of an individual advertising image.  
         [0005]     It is an object of the present invention to address or ameliorate one or more of the abovementioned disadvantages or at least provide a useful alternative.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     In this specification the term “craft” is to be interpreted broadly to include most if not all forms of device for conveying persons above or over the top of built structures. In particular forms this will include aircraft.  
         [0007]     Accordingly, in one broad form of the invention there is provided a system for the application of an image to an upper surface of a built structure, said image arranged for visibility from over-flying craft.  
         [0008]     Preferably said upper surface comprises a rooftop.  
         [0009]     Preferably characteristics of said image define a cone of legibility.  
         [0010]     Preferably said image is displayed for a predetermined time at a predetermined revenue rate.  
         [0011]     Preferably said image is displayed for a time period in the range of 1 to 12 months.  
         [0012]     Preferably said image is displayed for a time period in the range of 1 to 5 years.  
         [0013]     Preferably said image is displayed for a time period in the range of 1 to 10 years.  
         [0014]     Preferably said image is in the form of a company name or logo.  
         [0015]     Preferably said image is displayed in the form of an advertisement for a product or service.  
         [0016]     Preferably the step of commercialization includes leasing of space on said rooftops.  
         [0017]     Preferably said space is made available on a commercial basis to third parties for the display of advertising indicia thereon.  
         [0018]     Preferably said image is displayed in the form of textual or graphic information.  
         [0019]     Preferably said image comprises a series of images displayed consecutively.  
         [0020]     Preferably said image is a moving image.  
         [0021]     Preferably said image is applied as a film.  
         [0022]     Preferably said image is applied by way of projection onto said rooftops.  
         [0023]     Preferably the subtended angle of said cone is determined according to a parameter based on roof surface texture and discontinuities of the roof surface.  
         [0024]     Preferably the commercial value of an advertisement applied to said rooftops is a function of the cone of legibility.  
         [0025]     Preferably commercial value of said image is a function of the number and characteristics of aircraft flight paths intersecting said cone.  
         [0026]     Preferably each said image is applied as paint by an applicator adapted to traverse a roof surface.  
         [0027]     Preferably each said image is formed from an array of coloured panels, segments, dots or pixels.  
         [0028]     Preferably the panels, segments, dot or pixel size and spacing is determined according to information theory.  
         [0029]     Preferably the resolution of each said image allows for roof discontinuities such as sky lights.  
         [0030]     Preferably the resolution of each said image allows for roof discontinuities such as changes of roof angle.  
         [0031]     Preferably each said image is provided with day and/or night time illumination.  
         [0032]     Preferably said applicator is in modular form arranged to be lifted to a rooftop in sections for reassembly.  
         [0033]     Preferably the applicator is provided with traversing means for progressively applying an image to a roof surface.  
         [0034]     Preferably said applicator is provided with a rail system arranged to guide said applicator over an expanse of roof.  
         [0035]     Preferably the applicator is provided with support wheels and propulsion means.  
         [0036]     Preferably the applicator is provided with a plurality of paint, toner or ink dispensing nozzles disposed along an axis transverse to the direction of the guide rails of the applicator.  
         [0037]     Preferably the applicator is provided with digital and/or mechanical control means.  
         [0038]     Preferably the control means determines the sequence, colour, duration and the nozzle from which paint, toner or ink is dispensed.  
         [0039]     Preferably the pixel panel, segment or dot size delivered by the nozzles may be varied according to the required resolution of the image to be applied.  
         [0040]     In yet a further broad form of the invention there is provided a method of allocating advertising space, the method comprising the steps of:  
         [0041]     Procuring a roof surface and obtaining signage rights to the roof surface;  
         [0042]     Offering the roof surface as a platform for advertising indicia for a predetermined period of time;  
         [0043]     Procuring the application of the advertising indicia in such manner as to be observable from over flying aircraft.  
         [0044]     In yet a further broad form of the invention there is provided an upper surface of a built structure incorporating indicia thereon or therein; said indicia constructed so as to be discernable by observers in craft passing over said built structure when said craft is within a predetermined legibility distance of said built structure.  
         [0045]     Preferably said predetermined legibility distance is in the range 100-2 000 feet.  
         [0046]     Preferably said predetermined legibility distance is in the range 100-10 000 feet.  
         [0047]     Preferably said predetermined legibility distance is in the range 30 000-40 000 feet.  
         [0048]     Preferably said predetermined legibility distance is defined by and lies within the volume of a cone of legibility.  
         [0049]     Preferably said built structure is a roof.  
         [0050]     Preferably said built structure is a pontoon.  
         [0051]     In yet a further broad form of the invention there is provided a method of deriving revenue from advertising space, the method comprising the steps of: procuring an upward facing surface and obtaining signage rights to the surface; offering to a third party the surface as a platform for advertising indicia for a predetermined period of time; procuring the application of the advertising indicia to said surface in such manner as to be observable from craft passing over said surface at a predetermined legibility distance.  
         [0052]     Preferably said revenue is directly linked to the benefit derived by said third party from the visibility and discernability of said indicia to viewers in said craft as it passes over said surface at said predetermined legibility distance.  
         [0053]     In yet a further broad form of the invention there is provided a surface to which the above method is applied. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0054]      FIG. 1  is an illustration of a roof top displaying an image as it may be seen from an aircraft in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0055]      FIG. 2  shows a cone of visibility relative to the roof and image of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0056]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an image applicator traversing a roof section for the creation of an image of the type shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0057]      FIG. 4  is an illustration of a relationship between the effective areas of pixels and interpixel spacing as used to form an image of the type shown in  FIG. 1 ,  
         [0058]      FIG. 5  is a flow chart of an exemplary leasing/renting procedure for use in accordance with a particular example of embodiments of the present invention,  
         [0059]      FIG. 6  is a flow chart of a valuation method in accordance with an example of embodiments of the present invention,  
         [0060]      FIG. 7  is a flow chart of an advertiser valuation method in accordance with a further example of embodiments of the present invention, and  
         [0061]      FIG. 8  illustrates an application of an example of the present invention to a floating pontoon in association with an adjacent airport facility. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0062]     Embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
         [0063]     In  FIG. 1 a  roof  10  has an image  11  applied to it. Roof  10  is oriented such that its surface is readily visible from an aircraft  13  flying a path through a “cone of legibility”  12  as shown in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0064]     The cone of legibility  12  is a function of the smallest discrete detail which is considered useful to the impact and intelligibility of the image  11 . The dimension of the cone is then determined by the distance at which the unaided human eye can resolve that detail.  
         [0065]     In one form, cone  12  is an inverted conical section of a sphere whose generator is equal to the distance of resolution of the smallest discrete detail of the image  11 . The subtended angle of the cone is also determined by the minimum inclination at which the image can be resolved. The determination of the angle may include a parameter based on the nature of the roof surface and discontinuities of that surface.  
         [0066]     The apex of the cone is centered on the image.  FIG. 2  shows a cone of legibility  12  relative to roof  10  and image  11  with an aircraft  13  on flight path  14  intersecting the cone for a distance  15  as shown by dashed line  16 . Also in  FIG. 2  are shown other flight paths  17  which are known to pass through the cone.  
         [0067]     The size of the cone of legibility, the number of flight paths, number and types of aircraft passing through the cone as well as the duration of each such passage, are contributing factors to the commercial value of the image.  
         [0068]     In use, the commercial value of a roof space and a proposed image may be calculated from the cone of legibility, local flight paths intersecting the cone, flight frequencies and durations, types of aircraft and other relevant data.  
         [0069]      FIG. 3  illustrates the general principle according to which an image may be applied to a roof surface  10 . An applicator  20  is arranged to follow a parallel rail system  21 . Rail system  21  is relocated to allow respective bands  22  of image  11  to be applied.  
         [0070]     In a preferred embodiment applicator  20  is in the form of a beam structure straddling the guide rails  21  comprising rail system  24  and provided with support wheels  23  and drive means to propel the applicator along the guide rails. The beam structure is provided with a plurality of nozzles  25 , paint reservoirs  26  and control means to direct paint to selected nozzles according to a control program based on the digitized image to be applied.  
         [0071]     In a further preferred embodiment the applicator is of modular construction to allow it to be lifted to the roof in sections. Its modular construction is further adapted to allow multiples of beam segments to be joined together to provide various lengths of beam to suit different roof and image sizes.  
         [0072]     In a further preferred embodiment the image is made up of pixels. The pixel size and interpixel spacing are determined according to the principles of information theory and are functions of the roof size and image detail as well as discontinuities in the roof surface. By way of a non limiting example,  FIG. 4  illustrates some of these relationships where a roof surface  30  has discontinuities in the form of skylights  31  of surface area “A”. Pixels  32  are then selected as having surface area A/2 with interpixel spacing  33  a percentage of pixel diameter “D”.  
         [0073]     In use, the image to be applied is digitized and segmented into parallel bands  22 , if required, for an applicator to cover the surface area of the image. By means of software, the digitized image is translated into a control program for the dispensing of different coloured paints from the applicator nozzles as it traverses a roof section.  
         [0074]     Also in use in commercial applications a typical commercial implementation involves the steps of:  
         [0075]     Procuring a roof surface and obtaining signage rights to the roof surface;  
         [0076]     Offering the roof surface as a platform for advertising indicia for a predetermined period of time;  
         [0077]     Procuring the application of the advertising indicia in such manner as to be observable from over flying aircraft.  
         [0078]     The above describes only some embodiments of the present invention and modifications, obvious to those skilled in the art, can be made thereto without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.  
         [0079]     For example, it is to be understood that the image to be applied to the rooftop can be applied in many ways other than by direct physical application. For example, the image may be applied indirectly as a separate layer overlaid upon the rooftop. In alternative forms the image may be applied indirectly by, for example, the projection of light onto the rooftop.  
         [0080]     In yet other forms the image may be applied as an “active” image, which is to say in the form of a light emitting system such as can be provided by an array of lights, a CRT panel or the like.  
         [0081]     Furthermore, analogous built structures may act effectively as rooftops for the purpose of forming a base for advertising display of the kind envisaged in this specification.  
         [0082]     Specific examples of implementations of procedures compatible with one or more of the described embodiments will now be provided in detail:  
       EXAMPLE 1  
     Method of Deriving Revenue  
       [0083]     With reference to  FIG. 5 a  basic renting/leasing procedure is demonstrated in block diagram form.  
         [0084]     In this arrangement the steps in a method  50  of deriving revenue from an upward facing surface are put into effect by the following steps:  
         [0085]     In a first step  51  an upward facing surface is identified as a potential candidate to receive indicia thereon for viewing at a legibility distance by observers in an overflying craft. In typical instances this upward facing surface may be located near an airport but can be located elsewhere subject only to satisfying the basic requirement that the surface can be viewed by overflying craft and that indicia can be applied in a way such that they are made visible and discernable to observers in the craft looking down upon the upward facing surface and, more particularly, the indicia thereon.  
         [0086]     In second step  52  signage rights are negotiated to the upward facing surface. In some instances it may be that the surface is, for example, a rooftop surface which already has a substantially vertically disposed sign thereon adapted for viewing from ground level. Any rights third parties may have to the substantially vertically disposed signage can be thought of as completely independent from rights to be negotiated for the substantially upward facing surfaces upon which, indeed, the substantially vertical sign may sit. It is conceivable in some instances that the substantially vertically oriented sign may remain and not interfere with indicia placed on the upward facing surfaces and for which separate signage rights may be negotiated in accordance with step  52 .  
         [0087]     Having negotiated signage rights both rights can be offered to third parties in a third step  53 , usually for a predetermined period of time.  
         [0088]     Once these basic steps have been performed agreement with the third party can be formalized and then given effect by causing the application of substantially upwardly directed indicia to the upward facing surfaces whereby the indicia are discernable by observers in craft passing over the upward facing surfaces at a legibility height.  
       EXAMPLE 2  
     Value to an Advertiser  
       [0089]     With reference to  FIG. 6 a  surface available for advertising purposes has a surface area Am 2  and is angled at α° to the horizontal. A potential client wishes to display a certain logo in the form of a text string which, to fit in the available area, demands that the letters of the logo have a maximum height of x meters.  
         [0090]     Several factors then need to be taken into account in determining the maximum resolution distance and maximum angle of inclination to the roof surface at which the logo can be resolved by the naked eye including:  
         [0091]     the maximum text height,  
         [0092]     the colours of the logo text and background to give a contrast factor,  
         [0093]     the texture and any discontinuities of the roof surface or the texture of sheeting or other media (if the logo is not to be applied directly to the existing roof surface).  
         [0094]     These parameters of distance and angle may be determined empirically by reference for example to suitable computer modeling of the logo and roof surface area with scaling and spatial rotation of the image to simulate its appearance and legibility at various viewing distance and angles.  
         [0095]     With these parameters established the cone of legibility is defined and any intersecting flight paths, their frequencies and passenger densities may be determined. The value then of the roof space for advertising purposes can be calculated on the basis of the number of potential viewers over a given period.  
         [0096]     Not all potential viewers need be valued equally however; for example a large passenger jet passing through the cone on a descent towards landing at an average height of 500 ft will have greater value than a similar jet passing through the cone at for example 5,000 ft even if the passengers of both jets would be able to resolve the logo.  
         [0097]     Furthermore, the cone of legibility may contain flight paths which are curved and during the transit of which an aircraft is banked so as to afford the maximum viewing potential of the rooftop to at least half of its passengers.  
         [0098]     Thus scaling factors may be introduced which take account of the actual average distance from the roof and the benefits of any curvature of a flight path as inputs into the calculations of the value of an advertising space.  
         [0099]     In this example the valuation is performed for the benefit of the potential advertiser in that an assessment may now be made as to whether the cost of leasing the space is warranted in view of the potential audience which may view the advertiser&#39;s logo over the period of the lease.  
       EXAMPLE 3  
     Value to a Leasing Agent and Surface Owner  
       [0100]     With reference to  FIG. 7  clearly, the larger the indicia applied to a given surface the larger will be the cone of legibility and the potential viewing audience, other factors being equal. Therefore the method performed in Example 1 may not confer an adequate value on the surface area offered if the cone of legibility is relatively small because of small indicia specified by the advertiser.  
         [0101]     For the purpose of assigning a base value to a given available surface area, a leasing agent may perform a similar operation as described in Example 1 but use a cone of legibility based on a standard indicia size applied to a standard surface. By applying this “standard cone” to the available surface, the potential viewing audience is ascertained from the number and characteristics of flight paths through the cone and so establish a market value for the surface.  
       EXAMPLE 4  
     Floating Surface  
       [0102]     With reference to  FIG. 8 , by way of an example intended to clarify the breadth of meaning to be given to the term “built structure” and “roof” in this specification there is illustrated a built structure  60  in the form of a pontoon or like floating structure having a substantially upwardly directed surface  61  upon which or into which indicia  62  can be inscribed and sized so as to be visible to observers in an overflying craft, in this instance aeroplane  63  during a take off or landing phase from runway  64  and following trajectory  65  which has associated with it a cone of legibility  66  associated with indicia  62  which permits the discernment of the indicia  62  by the passengers or other persons in aeroplane  63 . This particular example can be used with airports which lie adjacent bodies of water  67  as shown in this example.  
         [0103]     The predetermined legibility distance H inherent in the cone of legibility  66  associated with flight path  65  can, for example, lie in the range 100-2 000 feet. In alternative arrangements the predetermined legibility distance can be in the range 100-10 000 feet. In yet alternative arrangements the legibility distance H can be the typical cruising height range for an aircraft, typically in the range 30 000-40 000 feet.