Patent Publication Number: US-2023154364-A1

Title: Floating advertisement device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a floating advertisement device capable of displaying different advertisements according to places and time, indoors or outdoors for a long time in a stable manner at low costs, while capable of easily performing collection thereof, and is particularly suitable for a floating advertisement device that uses a drone capable of flying autonomously. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Various advertisement media have been conventionally existed other than newspapers, magazines, radios, televisions, and so on, and an ad balloon (with a size of a diameter of about 2.0 to 2.3 meters) in which gas such as a helium gas lighter than air is filled in a spherical balloon, for example, also exists as one kind of outdoor advertisement media. However, the helium gas is losing its superiority in terms of cost because of an influence of steep rise in prices according to a short supply. There exists a hydrogen gas as another gas lighter than air, but since the hydrogen gas is combustible, it has not been used generally for ad balloons in recent years. 
     On the other hand, ad balloons as outdoor advertisement media are easily affected by wind, and thus there have been disadvantages that they are difficult to be operated when inclined at an angle of approximately 45 degrees or more. 
     On the contrary, as prior art documents regarding ad balloons, the following Patent Documents 1 and 2 are known. The Patent Document 1 discloses a technique in which a lightweight speaker device for high places is used by being hung from an ad balloon. Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a technique regarding an ad balloon having an ad balloon main body including movable parts such as a head part, a torso part, a hand part, or a foot part, and a driving device for moving the movable parts mounted on the ad balloon main body. 
     On the other hand, the following Patent Document 3 is known as a prior art document in which an advertisement medium connected to an electric unmanned flying object such as a drone to which power is supplied from the ground, is used. Specifically, this Patent Document 3 discloses a technique in which advertisement can be performed for a long time in a stable manner with a drone and the like, without using a helium gas. 
     Meanwhile, in accordance with usage of a communication line such as an Internet line, advertisements utilizing data have also become to be known in recent years. The advertisement is, for example, one in which when an advertiser or an advertisement agency inputs advertisements by images or document texts in a distribution system, the advertisements are displayed on a large-sized display installed in a commercial establishment or outside a building connected via a communication line, or the advertisements are displayed on a display installed in a station yard or inside an electric railcar. However, advertisements often set targeted age group and gender group, and thus it is also known that advertisements are often displayed by selecting previously-examined time zones and places, without displaying similar advertisements in every place. 
     Patent Document 1: Utility Model Registration Publication No. 3122449 
     Patent Document 2: Utility Model Registration Publication No. 3088954 
     Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2020-201393 
     However, even in the inventions of Patent Documents 1 and 2, since conventionally-used ad balloons are used, they are easily affected by wind outdoors, and there have been disadvantages that the superiority in terms of cost is being lost because also of the influence of steep rise in prices of helium gas. Further, the invention like in Patent Document 3 in which the drone is used and the advertisement medium is hung from the drone and the like, has been considered in recent years, but in the inventions so far, it has been difficult to display different advertisements according to places and time, and besides, it has been difficult to successfully collect the advertisement medium at the termination of advertisement. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In response to this, necessity for an advertisement medium capable of not only performing advertisement outdoors for a long time in a stable manner at low costs, but also displaying different advertisements according to places and time, has been increasing. 
     The present invention was made in view of the above-described background, and its object is to provide a floating advertisement device capable of displaying different advertisements according to places and tine, outdoors for a long time in a stable manner at low costs, while capable of easily performing collection thereof. 
     A first invention of a floating advertisement device includes: an electric unmanned flying object connected to one end of a power supply line that supplies power; a control unit controlling an operation of the electric unmanned flying object; an advertisement medium hung from the electric unmanned flying object, and having, at a lower end surface thereof a landing guide part that performs positioning at a time of descending; an advertisement display unit capable of displaying advertisement contents in a changeable manner as an outer peripheral surface of the advertisement medium, and formed in a bendable manner; a power source disposed on the ground and connected to the other end of the power supply line; and a support member capable of supporting the advertisement medium by being fitted with the landing guide part when the advertisement medium descends. 
     Functions of the first invention of the floating advertisement device will be explained below. 
     According to the present invention of the floating advertisement device, the advertisement medium having the advertisement display unit capable of displaying the advertisement contents in the changeable manner, formed in the bendable manner on the outer peripheral surface, is hung from the electric unmanned flying object whose flying operation is controlled by the control unit. Further, the one end of the power supply line is connected to the electric unmanned flying object, the other end of the power supply line is connected to the power source disposed on the ground, and the power source supplies power to the electric unmanned flying object via the power supply line. 
     For this reason, in accordance with a takeoff of the electric unmanned flying object through control of its operation by the control unit, the advertisement medium ascends by being hung from the electric unmanned flying object, even if there exists no gas such as a helium gas therein, and besides, the bent advertisement display unit is spread, resulting in that the advertisement medium can propagate information to the outside. Further, since the electric unmanned flying object is connected to the power supply line that supplies power from the power source disposed on the ground, it becomes possible to realize a flight of the electric unmanned flying object without being limited by power consumption. Furthermore, the advertisement contents which are displayed by the advertisement display unit forming the outer peripheral surface of the advertisement medium can be displayed in the changeable manner, which also makes it possible to display different advertisements according to places and time. 
     On one hand, the landing guide part that performs positioning when the advertisement medium descends, is provided to the lower end surface of the advertisement medium, the support member is provided on the ground side, and when the advertisement medium descends, the landing guide part and the support member are fitted with each other, resulting in that the support member can support the advertisement medium. When the advertisement medium is stored by being supported by the support member, since the advertisement display unit being the outer peripheral surface of the advertisement medium is formed in the bendable manner, the advertisement display unit can land in a compact state by being bent and folded, resulting in that the advertisement medium can be easily collected. 
     On the other hand, the operation of the electric unmanned flying object is controlled by the control unit, so that even when wind blows, the flight control can be performed to make the electric unmanned flying object stay at a certain position. 
     According to the above, since the floating advertisement device of the present invention uses, instead of the helium gas, the electric unmanned flying object to which the power can be supplied from the ground, the flight can be performed for a long time at low costs, and further, since the electric unmanned flying object flies while being controlled, it is difficult to be affected by wind, resulting in that the advertisement can be performed by the advertisement medium for a long time in a stable manner. In addition to this, it becomes possible to display different advertisements according to places and time. 
     A second invention of a floating advertisement device includes: an electric unmanned flying object connected to one end of a power supply line that supplies power; a control unit controlling an operation of the electric unmanned flying object; an advertisement medium hung from the electric unmanned flying object, having, at a lower end surface thereof, a landing guide part that performs positioning at a time of descending, and formed to have a truncated quadrangular pyramid shape in which a lower surface side is narrowed; an advertisement display unit arranged on each trapezoidal surface being an outer peripheral surface of the advertisement medium having the truncated quadrangular pyramid shape, capable of displaying advertisement contents in a changeable manner, and formed in a bendable manner; a power source disposed on the ground and connected to the other end of the power supply line; and a support member capable of supporting the advertisement medium by being fitted with the landing guide part when the advertisement medium descends. 
     The second invention of the floating advertisement device is the device in which the advertisement medium is formed to have the truncated quadrangular pyramid shape in which the lower surface side is narrowed, and the advertisement display unit is provided to each trapezoidal surface of the truncated quadrangular pyramid shape. The advertisement medium has the truncated quadrangular pyramid shape in which the lower surface side is narrowed as described above, so that even when the advertisement medium ascends high, visibility of the advertisement display unit never deteriorates. 
     A third invention of a floating advertisement device includes: an electric unmanned flying object connected to one end of a power supply line that supplies power; a control unit controlling an operation of the electric unmanned flying object; an advertisement medium hung from the electric unmanned flying object, and having, at a lower end surface thereof, a landing guide part that performs positioning at a time of descending; an advertisement display unit being a thin and bendable organic EL display capable of displaying advertisement contents in a changeable manner as an outer peripheral surface of the advertisement medium, and to which power is supplied by being connected to the power supply line; a power source disposed on the ground and connected to the other end of the power supply line; and a support member capable of supporting the advertisement medium by being fitted with the landing guide part when the advertisement medium descends. 
     The third invention of the floating advertisement device is the device in which the advertisement display unit is formed as the thin and bendable organic EL display, and the power supply line can supply power also to the organic EL display. As above, the advertisement display unit is made by the thin and bendable organic EL display, and in accordance with this, the power is made to be supplied to the organic EL display through the power supply line, resulting in that stable advertisements with high visuality can be supplied for a long time in a stable manner, and it becomes possible to concretely realize that the advertisement medium is folded to be in a compact state when it lands. 
     Further, in each of the inventions described above, it can be considered that the advertisement medium is formed in a truncated quadrangular pyramid shape in which a lower surface side is narrowed, and the advertisement display unit is provided to each trapezoidal surface of the truncated quadrangular pyramid shape. Since the advertisement medium is formed in the truncated quadrangular pyramid shape in which the lower surface side is narrowed as described above, even when the advertisement medium ascends high, the visibility of the advertisement display unit never deteriorates. 
     On the other hand, it can be considered that the landing guide part of the advertisement medium is formed in a tapered projecting shape in which a lower side is narrowed and the support member is formed in a tapered recessed shape in which a lower side is narrowed, the electric unmanned. flying object is a drone, and a receiver capable of receiving, by radio, video signals or a broadcast from the outside is provided inside the advertisement medium and the receiver is connected to the advertisement display unit. 
     The floating advertisement device according to the present invention brings about excellent effects that it is possible to display different advertisements according to places and time, outdoors fir a long time in a stable manner at low costs, while capable of easily performing collection thereof. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a schematic view of a floating advertisement device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  2    is a perspective view illustrating an advertisement medium in a state where advertisements of the floating advertisement device according to the embodiment of the present invention are displayed (note that a power supply line is omitted). 
         FIG.  3    is a perspective view illustrating a descending state of the advertisement medium in the floating advertisement device according to the embodiment of the present invention (note that the power supply line is omitted). 
         FIG.  4    is a perspective view illustrating a state where the advertisement medium of the floating advertisement device according to the embodiment of the present invention is landed while being supported by a support member (note that the power supply line is omitted). 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     A first embodiment of a floating advertisement device according to the present invention will be hereinafter described in detail while referring to the drawings. 
     As illustrated in  FIG.  1    and  FIG.  2   , in the floating advertisement device of the present embodiment, a drone  12  having, for example, not-illustrated four motors which rotate four propellers  12 A, respectively, and whose flight is controlled by a controller  16 , is positioned at an uppermost part, and to a lower end side of the drone  12 , one end of a power supply line  14  for supplying power is connected. 
     On a lower side of the drone  12  being an electric unmanned flying object, an advertisement medium  18  for propagating advertisement information to the outside is positioned by being hung from the drone  12 . A main body part  18 A of the advertisement medium  18  is formed in a truncated quadrangular pyramid shape in which a lower surface side is narrowed, and each trapezoidal surface of the truncated quadrangular pyramid shape is provided with an advertisement display unit  19 . Specifically, since the advertisement medium  18  has the advertisement display units  19  of four surfaces, the advertisement display units  19  can display advertisements as an outer peripheral surface of the advertisement medium  18 . Further, each advertisement display unit  19  is made by an organic EL display which is thin and formed in a bendable manner, and the power supply line  14  is connected to be able to supply power also to these organic EL displays. 
     Further, as illustrated in  FIG.  2   , a coupling member  18 B formed of a lightweight material such as an aluminum alloy or carbon in a quadrangular ring shape is provided at an upper part of the main body part  18 A, and when the coupling member  18 B at the upper part is coupled to the drone  12  by four wires  20 , the advertisement medium  18  is bung from the drone  12 . 
     A receiver  26  capable of receiving, by radio, video signals or a broadcast from the outside for displaying advertisements, is provided inside the advertisement medium  18 , as illustrated in  FIG.  2   , and although not illustrated, the receiver  26  is connected to each of the organic EL displays configuring each of the advertisement display units  19 . This makes it possible for each of the advertisement display units  19  to display advertisement contents or broadcast contents received from the controller  16  illustrated in  FIG.  1   , by video or the like, while capable of changing the advertisement contents. 
     On one hand, the advertisement medium  18  has, at a lower end surface thereof, a landing guide part  22  for performing positioning of the advertisement medium  18  when it descends, and formed of a metal material such as an aluminum alloy, and a center portion of the landing guide part  22  is made to be a recessed portion  22 A formed in a tapered recessed shape in which an upper side is narrowed. In correspondence with this, a support member  24  formed of a metal material such as iron and capable of supporting the advertisement medium  18  by being fitted with the landing guide part  22  when the advertisement medium  18  descends, is disposed on the ground, and a center portion of the support member  24  is made to be a projecting portion  24 A formed in a tapered projecting shape in which an upper side is narrowed. 
     Concretely, as illustrated in  FIG.  3   , although these recessed portion  22 A and projecting portion  24 A are made to have a recessed shape and a projecting shape, respectively, linearly formed to have substantially the same length, they have edge lines such that a tip side becomes narrow and a root side becomes wide, and have sizes so that the recessed portion  22 A and the projecting portion  24 A are fitted with each other. 
     On the other hand, as illustrated in  FIG.  1   , the power supply line  14  connected to the drone  12  passes through the inside the advertisement medium  18  to extend downward to the ground, and the other end of the power supply line  14  is connected to a power source  32  disposed on the ground. For this reason, it is possible to constantly supply power to the drone  12  and each of the advertisement display units  19  from the power source  32  via the power supply line  14 . 
     Next, an operation when activating the floating advertisement device of the present embodiment will be described. 
     As illustrated in  FIG.  4   , not only the drone  12  but also the advertisement medium  18  is positioned on the support member  24  on the ground, and when the drone  12  is activated to rotate the motors by operating the controller  16  being a control unit which controls the drone  12  by radio or wire, it is possible to make the drone  12  take off to ascend. In accordance with this, the advertisement medium  18  hung from the drone  12  also ascends, and since the advertisement display units  19  are formed in a bendable bellows shape or of a flexible material, the advertisement medium  18  including the advertisement display units  19  spreads along a longitudinal direction from the bent state, to be in a state illustrated in  FIG.  1   . 
     At this time, by previously setting, with the use of the controller  16 , a latitudinal and longitudinal point on GPS, for example, in accordance with a position of the support member  24  disposed on the ground, it becomes possible to perform control so that the drone  12  stays still to be held constantly up in the sky at the previously-determined certain position. Subsequently, in such a state, power of the advertisement display units  19  is turned on, to thereby start the display of advertisement information. 
     Next, functions of the floating advertisement device according to the present embodiment will be described hereinbelow. 
     According to the floating advertisement device of the present embodiment, the advertisement medium  18  having the truncated quadrangular pyramid shape in which the lower surface side is narrowed, is hung from the drone  12  whose flight operation is controlled by the controller  16 , and the lower end surface of the advertisement medium  18  is made to be the landing guide part  22  for performing positioning when the advertisement medium  18  descends. On the respective trapezoidal surfaces being the outer peripheral surface of the advertisement medium  18  having the truncated quadrangular pyramid shape, the advertisement display units  19  each being the thin and bendable organic EL display capable of displaying advertisements are arranged. 
     As advertisement contents on the organic EL displays, a front advertisement display unit  19  displays iced coffee poured in a cup, or the like, and a right-side advertisement display unit  19  displays characters of “ADRONE”, as illustrated in  FIG.  2   , for example. Note that also on the advertisement display units  19  at two surfaces on a rear surface side, the same or different displays are performed as a matter of course. 
     Further, since the advertisement medium  18  has the truncated quadrangular pyramid shape in which the lower surface side is narrowed as described above, even when the advertisement medium  18  ascends high, visibility of the organic EL displays never deteriorates. Furthermore, in accordance with the takeoff of the drone  12 , from the support member  24  previously disposed on the ground, through the control of the operation by the controller  16 , the upper side of the advertisement medium  18  is pulled up, resulting in that the respective advertisement display units  19  finned to have the bendable bellows structure of the advertisement medium  18  naturally spread in the longitudinal direction. Specifically, the advertisement medium  18  is hung from the drone  12  and the respective advertisement display units  19  ascend while being turned into flat surfaces even if there exists no gas such as a helium gas therein, which makes it possible fir the advertisement medium  18  to propagate advertisement information to the outside. 
     Further, since the other end of the power supply line  14  whose one end is connected to the drone  12 , is connected to the power source  32  disposed on the ground, the power from the power source  32  is supplied to the drone  12 , and thus the drone  12  can fly for a long time without being limited by power consumption. At this time, by controlling, with the use of the controller  16 , the drone  12  to be constantly held at the previously-determined position in the space, even when wind blows, the drone  12  can fly so as to stay at a certain position against the wind force, and can autonomously maintain the position. In accordance with this, the advertisement medium  18  can stably perform advertisement without being needlessly moved or inclined. 
     Besides, in accordance with the connection of the power supply line  14  also to the organic EL displays being the advertisement display units  19 , the power source  32  supplies power also to the organic EL displays via the power supply line  14 , resulting in that the power is supplied to the organic EL displays and stable advertisements with high visibility can be supplied for a long time in a stable manner. 
     Meanwhile, when the advertisement is terminated and the advertisement medium  18  is descended, the power of the advertisement display units  19  is cut to terminate the advertisement display, and as the advertisement medium  18  is gradually descended by reducing, while controlling, the number of rotations of the motors of the drone  12 , the advertisement medium  18  is further descended in a state of being led onto the support member  24 , as illustrated in  FIG.  3   . 
     At a time of this descending, the landing guide part  22  for performing positioning when the advertisement medium  18  descends is provided to the lower end surface of the advertisement medium  18 , and the recessed portion  22 A made to have the tapered recessed shape in which the upper side is narrowed is formed at the center portion of the landing guide part  22 . Further, the support member  24  is disposed on the ground, and the projecting portion  24 A made to have the tapered projecting shape in which the upper side is narrowed is formed at the center portion of the support member  24 . 
     Since the landing guide part  22  and the support member  2 . 4  are formed as above, when the advertisement medium  18  descends, the landing guide part  22  and the support member  24  are fitted with each other, which makes it easy to perform positioning at a predetermined position, and in accordance with this, the support member  24  can securely support the advertisement medium  18 . Further, since the advertisement display units  19  being the outer peripheral surface of the advertisement medium  18  are formed in the bendable manner, when the support member  24  supports the advertisement medium  18 , the advertisement display units  19  can land in a compact state by being bent and folded as illustrated in  FIG.  4   , resulting in that the advertisement medium  18  can be easily collected. 
     According to the above, since the floating advertisement device of the present embodiment uses, instead of the helium gas, the drone  12  to which the power from the power source  32  on the ground can be supplied, the flight can be performed for a long time at low costs, and further, since the drone  12  flies while being controlled by the controller  16 , it is unlikely to be affected by wind, resulting in that the advertisement can be performed by the advertisement medium  18  for a long time in a stable manner. In addition to this, it also becomes possible to display different advertisements according to places and time by the advertisement display units  19 . 
     Note that in the above-described embodiment, the receiver  26  is employed for reception from the controller  16 , but it is also possible to design such that the receiver  26  receives advertisement contents transmitted by wire or radio from a transmitter being a terminal of a communication line such as an external Internet line. Further, it is also possible to employ, instead of the receiver  26 , a computer or the like which mounts a battery, a memory, and the like with required capacities, and previously stores advertisement contents. 
     Further, in the above-described embodiment, the main body part  18 A of the advertisement medium  18  is formed in the shape of truncated quadrangular pyramid being a truncated square pyramid, but not limited to the truncated square pyramid, and a truncated triangular pyramid shape or a truncated pentagonal pyramid shape other than the truncated quadrangular pyramid, and a shape with two surfaces or a hemispherical shape may also be employed. Further, as the advertisement display unit  19 , not only the organic EL display but also a well-known display may also be employed. 
     Note that as the organic EL display, it is possible to employ a thin and light flexible organic EL display which has been developed in recent years by NHK Science &amp; Technology Research Laboratories of Japan Broadcasting Corporation. This flexible organic EL display is a 30-inch and 4K display, but has a thickness of 0.5 mm and a weight of 100 grams, and can be stored in a bent or rolled state. 
     On one hand, in the above-described embodiment, the recessed portion  22 A formed in the tapered recessed shape is provided to the landing guide part  22 , and the projecting portion  24 A formed in the tapered projecting shape is provided to the support member  24 , but the recessed portion and the projection portion may also be arranged oppositely. Aside form this, when one end of a rope is attached to the advertisement medium  18 , and an anchor is disposed on the ground and the other end of the rope is attached to this anchor, even in a case where control failure of the drone  12  occurs, the advertisement medium  18  can be collected with no problems. Besides, if the drone  12  and the advertisement medium  18  are structured in a detachable manner by removal of the wires  20  from the drone  12 , and the like, when the floating advertisement device is not operated, convenience in carriage of the advertisement medium  18  having the bendable bellows structure and folded is increased, and it becomes easy to protect a frame of the advertisement medium  18 . 
     On the other hand, the power source  32  itself may also be a large-sized battery, and it may also be one that receives supply of power from an external electric wire, or generates power by driving a power generator using an engine or the like. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the controller is used as the control unit, but a computer or the like may also be used as the control unit, and as a control method, one in which a program and data are previously input may be employed, and one in which the drone  12  is directly operated by radio or wire may also be employed. 
     In the foregoing, the embodiments according to the present invention have been described, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be carried out while being modified. in various ways within a range that does not depart from the spirit of the present invention. 
     The present invention can be used not only as an advertisement medium as an ad balloon indoors or outdoors but also as a substitute for a landmark at night by light emission of organic EL displays, and in addition to that, it can also be applied to various industrial fields.