Abstract:
Marketing communications are delivered by advertising displays affixed to or surrounding highway signage, e.g., bridges, tunnels, and road signs. Lease arrangements are determined by a machine-based method providing equitable revenue sharing among governmental entities owning the highway signage and advertising bidders and the marketing communication entity while providing rapid, reliable deployment to advertisers via a machine-based method of RFID tracking and deployment.

Description:
PRIOR APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This present application claims under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) the benefit of the prior filing date of Application No. 61/401,427 filed on Aug. 11, 2010. 
       REFERENCES CITED 
       [0002]      
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                 U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                   
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                 U.S. 
               
               
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                 Ofsowitz et al. 
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                 Scumaci 
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                 2010/0010887 
                 Karlin and Wang 
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                 2010/0211491 
                 Kagan et al. 
                 August 2010 
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     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0003]    The present invention relates generally to display advertising, including digital display advertising. More particularly, the present invention relates to displaying advertising messages on structures affixed to or surrounding highway structures in an outdoor context. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0004]    Advertisers are keenly interested in generating the most consumer attention to their products and services as possible. These companies invest tremendous resources in identifying and categorizing consumer interests in order to create effective advertising messages. By using outdoor digital display advertising one can reach consumers in multiple high-value locations that current technology cannot reach. In addition, by using digital techniques, including holographic techniques, in such advertising one can reach a larger audience and create a more engaging customer experience. 
         [0005]    Firstly, conventional means of displaying advertising messages are limited in terms of location. One example of this is that of highway billboards, which are limited as to where they can be placed, by the need to apply paint and to erect them in such locations as the side of highways. Also, conventionally, billboards are one-dimensional and can pose a safety risk as viewers must look off-road to see the messages. Moreover, the consumer experience is not especially engaging. Multiple chances to reach consumers are lost as conventional advertising techniques cannot be successfully applied in many areas where consumers are located. A related problem with such conventional display advertising is that it is limited in size and shape. The size and shape limitations of conventional display advertising restrict where it can be installed and how effectively it can project an image. 
         [0006]    Secondly, conventional display advertising requires significant maintenance and repair and takes considerable time to install and to replace. Thus valuable time that could be used to display additional advertising is taken up with maintaining signage, repairing signage, installing signage, and replacing signage. 
         [0007]    Thirdly, the conventional approach to display advertising misses multiple opportunities to reach consumers in centrally located, highly visible places. Conventional advertising impressions reach consumers only for a limited time. The present invention does not have such a “short-lived touchpoint”. One of the problems with the conventional approach is that drivers must look away from the road to see billboards hundreds of feet from the road and this leads many drivers to ignore display advertising adjacent to highways. 
         [0008]    Fourthly, the conventional approach to display advertising is problematic in that there is no easy way to track signage status except by sending a crew to inspect the installation. Such a limitation is due in part to the static and one-dimensional nature of conventional display advertising. In addition, no added functionality, such as solar panels, traffic sensors, temperature sensors, or weather sensors, is included in a conventional installation of display advertising. The present invention has added marketing communication value and functionality and can collect and transmit onsite operational data. The present invention can be engineered to be safer than conventional display advertising and creates a more engaging consumer experience. 
         [0009]    Accordingly, what is needed is the ability to install digital display advertising in more centrally located, highly visible places to attract more consumer attention to the advertisers&#39; message. Further, it is desirable to include additional functionality in display advertising installations. Moreover, via RFID technology, it is desirable to track such installations, e.g., the status of each installation. Such status information rapidly shows which installations are not operational and for what diagnostic reason. Moreover, it is useful to know what is being displayed at each installation and for what amount of time each advertising message has been shown at each location. On digital displays, advertising messages could be changed via a wireless network. The combination of digital advertising displays, magnets, holographic technology, and RFID technology and their joint application in the field of display advertising for highway signage is novel. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0010]    According to a preferred embodiment, by installing additional functionality during the construction of a display advertising location, it would be possible to power, for example using solar panels, any attached LEDs, to display weather conditions, to display temperature conditions, to display road conditions, to display traffic conditions using CCD sensors; moreover it would be possible to, via RFID sensors and associated software, track the status of the display advertising installations and update the messages. By adding greater value and multiple dimensions to existing structures, it is demonstrable that the present invention is malleable and adaptable to multiple environments. All of the additional functionalities are novel applications to existing structures and demonstrate that the present invention can be adapted to multiple environments and can meet many needs. The invention can take advantage of existing structures, e.g., highway structures, such as bridges, tunnels, road signs, and so constitutes an environmentally green invention. The invention can be used on the opposite side of highway signage to reach travelers coming from the other direction. The invention is very sustainable: it does not need major construction of installations but rather efficiently makes use of existing resources, protects underlying structures from weathering and from corrosion, the process incorporates green, environmentally sustainable, materials and processes in the development, installation, and maintenance of signage. Moreover, there are additional features, which add value, such as solar power generation, data collection from signage and redistribution of that data via a software-driven process, and the ability to make real-time display adjustments at a given installation. 
         [0011]    The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and descriptions below. Other features, objects, and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1 . Cross Section of Marketing Display Sign 
           [0013]      FIG. 2 . Schematic Layout of Sensing System on Marketing Display Sign 
           [0014]      FIG. 3 . Schematic Layout of Sensing System Components 
           [0015]      FIG. 4 . Sensing System of Marketing Display Sign: Vertical Cross Section of CCD Camera 
           [0016]      FIG. 5 . Schematic Diagram of RFID Communication System 
           [0017]      FIG. 6 . Computer-based Method for Selection and Customization of Signage 
           [0018]      FIG. 7 . Marketing Communication Display: Non-divided Highway 
           [0019]      FIG. 8 . Marketing Communication Display: Divided Highway 
           [0020]      FIG. 9 . System For Conducting The Auction of Display Advertising Space Leases 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0021]    The present invention can be implemented in any polygonal shape and provides for display advertising employing a sign  101  with a plurality of layers as shown in  FIG. 1 . The portion labeled  113 , the back protective layer of the advertising display, would be affixed by magnetic force to the metal surface  115  on which the magnetic display advertising is to be mounted and would protect the metal surface as well as the magnetic material from exposure to the corroding elements in the atmosphere. On this layer a reflective pigment or light-emitting diodes would be placed, as a bottom strip on the magnetic display advertising installation to be visible in the absence of strong natural light. The portion labeled  111  would be the magnetic layer in front of which in a portion of the sign would be the RFID sensors for use in the tracking system. 
         [0022]    The portion labeled  109 , the graphical layer of printed images or digital display, in front of the magnetic layer comprises, in the case of digital displays, a plurality of LEDs powered by an attached solar panel. Signage with a combination of digital and print images would also have LEDs powered by attached solar panels that store electricity in lithium ion batteries. Such a power source would allow the sign to continue to operate if there was a power failure in the area. The portions labeled  107 ,  105  are where a holographic or digital layer would be placed on the advertising image to allow changes with position of the observer. The portion labeled  103  would be the front protective layer protecting display materials from damage caused by natural elements. On the front surface portion of  101  a CCD camera would be placed to record weather and traffic conditions or other events of interest. Moreover, CCD cameras would be useful for security video surveillance to combat highway crime and violence. In addition, CCD cameras would count and monitor vehicular traffic. 
         [0023]    It will be appreciated that terms such as “left”, “right”, “top”, “bottom”, “inwardly”, “outwardly”, “front”, “inner”, “up”, and “down” and other positional descriptive terms used hereinabove or hereinbelow are used merely for ease of description and refer to the orientation of the components as shown in the Figures. It should be understood that any orientation of the elements described herein is within the scope of the present invention. In addition, like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings. 
         [0024]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , the Marketing Display Sign  301  comprises at least one sensing system  305  embedded in the display advertising sign  303 . Said sensing system as shown in  FIG. 3  includes a weather sensor labeled  503  to detect the presence of high winds, rain, and snow and to detect how cold or hot the installation is at that moment in time, at least one CCD camera labeled  511  that can serve as a traffic sensor used to detect the volume of vehicles passing the sign per minute as a proxy for the number of viewers, and an active RFID sensor labeled  507  which detects the condition of the sign and, if there is a malfunction with the sign, detects what type of malfunction, e.g., freezing temperature, vandalism, some manner of vehicular accident, as well as which messages are being shown, and how recently said messages were installed at that location. Via a digital transmission system replacement advertising messages could be sent out to display advertising installations. The Sensing System  501  is powered by a solar panel  509  supplemented by a lithium ion battery  505 . Moreover, the display system can use these power sources to illuminate the sign when visibility is poor, e.g., after sunset, on foggy days, and on cloudy days. 
         [0025]    The CCD Camera  511  shown in  FIG. 3  is depicted in vertical cross section in  FIG. 4 . A CCD Camera  701  is equipped with a microlens  703  in front of an optical filter  705 . Images are focused by the microlens  703  onto the CCD sensor  713  with the stray or scatter light blocked by a photo-shielding film  707 . Said camera system will be used to collect images that image processing software can recognize as vehicles that could serve as proxies for viewers, for example, to estimate delivered advertising display impressions. 
         [0026]      FIG. 5  illustrates the advertising display sign tracking system  901  comprising a network of servers  907  that receive input signals over a plurality of WiFi Access Points with RFID Readers  911  connected over a secure internet portal  909  from a plurality of active sensor systems connected to the secure internet portal. The active RFID sensor  903  would send signals to the position-tracking server  917  used by tracking software system  915  to track the installations of display advertising and monitor the operational status of each installation, e.g., the designation of the advertising content being shown in each location. The tracking system communicates alert messages when signage needs to be changed or an installation needs repair or maintenance. Moreover, new advertising messages in digital form or stored by digital reference could be sent to display advertising installations via this system. This computer system is used as part of a computer-based business method to track signs, i.e., to determine condition of signage, to determine which messages are being displayed at which installations, and to determine how long the messages have been displayed at each location. This system could also be used to update advertising messages based on information collected from signage. The component labeled  909  represents a web server that can access a global networking system such as the Internet. The portion labeled  915  represents a database server with display system database and associated applications.  FIG. 5  is an illustration of the attached sensor and electronic devices that are included in magnetic display advertising. The portion labeled  903  is a RFID tag. Such tags enable a wireless network infrastructure to accurately track the location and condition of the display advertising installations. The RFID sensor is small, battery powered, and programmable. Such sensors send short 802.11b messages at predefined intervals to a wireless network. The sensors, which last for up to  5  years, can be mounted in many locations, are compact, are durable, and have the capacity to store and receive data messages. Each outdoor, magnetic, display advertising installation would have an ultralow power Wi-Fi-based tamper-proof active RFID tag. This RFID tag would be powered by one or more long-lasting rechargeable lithium batteries  505 , on  FIG. 3 . Or the outdoor, magnetic, advertising installation could be powered by a solar panel, labeled  509  on  FIG. 3 , feeding into a rechargeable lithium battery. The RFID tags would monitor the environment and gather useful information, including, but not limited to, weather data, temperature data, traffic volume data, motion and condition of the signage data, as well as transmit location information via GPS. 
         [0027]    A computer-based system  1101  is used to optimize signage&#39;s dimensions, color, shape, lights, font size, pigment, and other aspects to best fit a given installation as shown in  FIG. 6 . This computer system is used as part of a machine-based business method to configure signs, i.e., locate the correct shape for a given installation in a database or, if said shape is not in the database, the software creates a printing master to optimally fit the space at the location. By thus optimizing the images so that they match the particular location of each installation greater marketing impact is achieved. The computer system would check inventory, on the database, labeled  1107 , and on the distributed database cluster, labeled  1109 , to determine if a suitably shaped magnetic advertising display already existed in the database. If no suitable shape was in the database, the computer system would configure the magnetic display advertising materials so as to fit the space at the proposed installation location optimally. The portion labeled  1103  represents a request from a plurality of clients. The portion labeled  1109  represents a database of shapes and signs in inventory; this database can be located centrally or be accessible via the Internet. The portion labeled  1107  represents a continually updated database of the status of deployed display systems. The portion labeled  1105  represents the decision module for determining the existence of a sign in the inventory and its current status in the field using the RFID tracking application. The portion labeled  1111  represents an application for customizing the shape of the advertisement to the available space at the location. The portion labeled  1113  represents the reprogramming of the display or scheduling of the transport of an existing sign to the required location. The portion labeled  1115  is the output indicating that the display has been deployed automatically over the Internet in the case of reprogramming an existing sign or a message dispatched to workers to redeploy a display system to a new location. 
         [0028]    Municipal governments and state governments and the federal government own highway structures and such structures constitute locations where advertising displays could be located provided that satisfactory arrangements could be made with the entity owning the structure. The present invention provides a means for advertisers to lease display space. The machine-based business method arrives at a three-way mutually satisfactory display lease rate: satisfactory to the advertiser based on ROI or other measure; satisfactory to the owner of the highway structure, usually a governmental entity, based on the proportion of the revenues it receives, and satisfactory to the commercial entity arranging the leases and coordinating the displays based on the proportion of the lease fee they receive. 
         [0029]    The present invention can be implemented in any polygonal shape such as that shown in  FIG. 7 . As shown in that figure the present invention provides for magnetic display advertising on undivided highways  1301  with a plurality of attachments. The portion labeled  1303 , the advertising space on highway signage, would be the place on which the magnetic display advertising would be mounted thus protecting the metal surface as well as the magnetic material from exposure to the corroding elements in the atmosphere. Below the advertising space on highway signage  1303  would be placed the sensing and communication panel  1305 , which is further shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0030]    The present invention can be implemented in any polygonal shape such as that shown in  FIG. 8 . As shown in that figure the present invention provides for magnetic display advertising on divided highways  1501  with a plurality of attachments. The portion labeled  1503 , the advertising space on highway signage, here shown on the north-facing side of the highway, would be the place on which the magnetic display advertising would be mounted thus protecting the metal surface as well as the magnetic material from exposure to the corroding elements in the atmosphere. The center line and dividing area of the highway is labeled  1505 . The highway signage on the portion of the highway facing south is labeled  1507 . The advertising space on the highway signage facing the opposite direction as the signage is labeled  1509 . Below the advertising space on highway signage  1509  would be placed the sensing and communication panel  1511 , which is further shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0031]    As shown in  FIG. 9  represents the machine-based system or method of auctioning  2501  display advertising space leases affixed to or surrounding highway signage. Prospective advertisers would log onto the auction website to review and select locations, lease periods, and advertising materials. The computer system hosting the auction-based advertising display leasing market would function in the following manner. Interested bidders would have access via the website to review available sites, i.e., defined as available within a specified period. A computer-based transactional database of leaseable properties would inform the bidder of time left on each auction and of the current highest bid on each auction or of the reserve bid if there were no previous bids. The location database supports an interactive graphical user interface showing lease properties searchable by specific street addresses and by click-select from a map showing all the installations on a given street, district, or Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The database would use maps and satellite technology, e.g., Google maps and GPS, to identify businesses near highway signage installations to let bidders know what surrounds the highway signage installations. The bidders would select proposed marketing communications from those in the database or attach new advertising messages in electronic form. If the advertiser was the highest bidder in at least one auction the marketing communication would be displayed for the contracted period at the contracted rate; however, the advertiser for a premium could preempt the auction to secure its desired locations and time periods. Said network comprises a login step  2503  for securing access to the auction website using a communication protocol such as SSL with two-factor authentication with digital tokens. After authentication the advertiser or its agent would specify a desired date range or ranges  2505  and a desired location or location(s)  2507  to review. Then the web-based interface would allow the advertiser to review available auctions that fit given parameters such as location, date range, and price  2509 . After a review the advertiser would make a selection  2511  and chose to purchase time on a given display advertising installation or to bid in an auction or several auctions. A bid alert  2513  is set up in the database of the auction website. At this point if a bidder has entered a preemptive bid or subsequently won an auction a successful bid electronic message  2515  is sent to the bidder in question. The database of available marketing communications is represented by  2517 . Available marketing communications  2523  are reviewed to determine if the desired marketing communication is within the available ones: if it is it is selected or if it is new it is added to the database  2519 . At this point in the system or method the new file is attached  2521 , then the payment method is selected  2525 , then the order is reviewed by the user  2527 , then an order is placed  2529 , and finally the deployment system shown in  FIG. 6  is alerted  2531 . In addition, the auction server would be connected to the fee processing server which would send a portion of the winning bid to a bank server and send the remainder to the owner(s) of the highway signage space, e.g., a municipality&#39;s and/or state&#39;s and/or federal government&#39;s server, which would send it on to a bank server. 
         [0032]    In a preferred embodiment, each installation is fitted with RFID sensors which send signals to a software system that tracks the installations of display advertising and monitors the operational status of each installation and what is being shown in each location and this software sends signals out when signage needs to be changed or an installation needs repair or maintenance. New advertising messages can be digitally transmitted to the display advertising locations via this software system. 
         [0033]    An advantage of this type of display advertising is that the manufacturing process to create the magnetic strips on which advertising is placed would be environmentally sustainable. The process does not use adhesives and polluting chemicals to hold the display in place. Moreover, recycling of the magnetic strips and their reuse is possible. In addition, the manufacturing process used to create the non-conventional display advertising magnetic strips is environmentally friendly and the materials used in manufacturing and those used in printing and those used in distribution are also environmentally friendly. 
         [0034]    An advantage of the above methods is that advertising can be placed in many more locations which are centrally located and highly visible, but which are currently not served. Moreover, the installations using preexisting structures need significantly less time to install compared to the prior art. Some installations could be instantaneous. Such installations have much lower costs and disrupt their surroundings significantly less than a comparable prior art installation. Another advantage of the above method is that advanced digital technology enables the advertising installations to collect and distribute valuable information. Moreover, the above method enables the tracking of signage for maintenance and repair and replacement purposes much more easily via RFID and a software tracking process. Still another advantage of the invention is that it can be solar powered via a flat solar generator on the end of the magnet to self-sustain lighting thus avoiding the need for a conventional power source. Moreover, additional functionalities such as traffic condition sensors, temperature condition sensors, and weather condition sensors can be displayed next to the advertising message. 
         [0035]    Still another advantage of the new magnetic display advertising is that the structure on which it is placed is protected from corrosion and deterioration via special coatings and special materials. The new magnetic display advertising not only avoids the need to install additional structures, but it protects the outer surface of existing structures from exposure to corrosive elements. This minimizes maintenance costs associated with repainting and caring for highway signage.