AU2008100958A4 - Tram-line specific point of display - Google Patents

Description

Australian Government IP Australia Australia Patents Act 1990 Regulation 3.2 r U, Original Complete Specification Standard Patent 0 LA

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;ubject to the provisions of the Patents Act, information provided on this form may be made publicly available, including on the Internet.

nvention Title TRtem IiM P CIFic POItiT OF DisPI.frY 7he following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing known to me: P/00/011 (05/05) Page 1 of 2 ABN 38 113 072 755

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00 Tram-Line Specific Point Of Display C Background Of Invention This invention relates to advertising at tram-stops, and has particular reference to a novel way of advertising due to the placement of advertising.

Cr Through the years of progression of tram-stops, advertising has evolved from dark and scruffy posters boards to modem, attractive light boxes with well illuminated and clean advertisement space, also offering shelter and seating for trams users.

00 All of the current points of advertising rely on the target customer viewing the advertisement in the vertical plane, this requires special vertical mounting. This makes for attractive targets for vandalism and this in-turn adds significantly to the cost of maintenance. These traditional forms of advertising are particularly prone to breakage due to the fact 0 they have little support over the entire advertising area.

One space which has never been used for advertising at tram-stops is the horizontal space on the floor in-between the 00 tram tracks (Fig This area makes the perfect place for advertising. At most tram-stops, most people occupy the C space at the edge of the platform and consequently do not face the traditional advertising hording behind them.

Cr Bearing this in mind, the main focus of people's vision is vertically downwards i.e between the tram tracks(4) themselves (Fig 10). Subsequently this makes the perfect placement for advertising. Also this area is generally not accessed by cars or pedestrians, and therefore accidental damage will be unlikely. As the subject matter of the invention is supported across its entire area by the ground beneath it and by careful selection of the upper surface material it is possible to produce advertising structures which are almost impervious to impact damage. The high visibility afforded by the location of the device will act as a deterrent by any would be vandals.

The selection of materials for the upper(2) surface overlaying the advertising(l), will be based upon the environment in which they will be placed and will take into account matters such as UV exposure, humidity and temperature variations.

Typical materials will be those such as polyester sheeting, acrylic sheeting, polypropylene sheeting, PVC sheeting and impact resistant glass. It maybe necessary where some materials do not have sufficient UV resistance, that this can be augmented by the use of appropriate stabilising additives. Though it is recognised that this is not a definitive list and materials suitable to the purpose can be chosen by the people skilled in the art.

In another embodiment, the upper surface(2) of the advertising feature(l) can be covered with a plurality of lenses( 16) (Fig3). These lenses(16) may exist as cylindrical array and as such project animation or pseudo-stereoscopic images.

The focal length of the lenses(16) will be as such, so that the person standing on the platform will be at the focal length and within the depth of field.

Another embodiment is where by the upper surface(2) of the printed advertisement( 1) is covered with an array of aspherical lenses(l 6)(Fig3) packed at specific repeating periods in relation to the artwork undemeath( By doing so, the observer on the platform will notice a series of magnified images moving orthogonal to the movement of their head, creating a dynamic and striking visual image. By first of all printing an image in the foreground and then printing the periodic image behind, it is possible to also create a 3 dimensional effect (Fig 3).

Another embodiment is where instead of printing the advertising image(l) on a separate material and placing the lenses( 16) on top, the reverese of the lenses( 16) can be directly printed on, eliminating the bottom layer(F' 4).

Another embodiment of the invention involves illuminating the advertising(l) from above, below or the side. This can be achieved in one or more ways. In the first instance the device can be lit from below using one or more LED's(lO0) embedded into the bottom layer(3) of the device (Fig7). By choosing a combination of LED's(10) of specific wavelength, it is possible to consistently vary/accent the colour and specific areas of the design(Fig7). These can be powered by batteries( 17) which maybe conventional or rechargeable. In the case of the latter, the recharging can take place by the incorporation of a photovoltaic cell(13) into the upper layer(2) of the device or sandwiched between the upper(2) and lower layer(3).

Alternatively by including phosphor luminescent materials into the upper(2), lower layers(3) or even the print(l) itself of the device, can capture energy during daylight hours and emit this as light during darkness.

Another alternative is to include fluorescent materials into the upper(2), lower(3) layer or even the print itself(l).

Then when light impinges upon these materials during darkness they will emit light over, specific wavelength and illuminate the advertisement(l).

00 Another alternative is to create the upper surface with a series of retro reflective structures(9) which can direct 8 stray/incident light from vehicles including the trams themselves, to illuminate the signs between the tram tracks.(Fig In another embodiment the upper(2) surface contains micro structures and low surface tension polymers/additives Ssuch that when it rains the surface tension of the upper(2) surface is sufficiently low and it's textured surface is of Ssufficient gradient for the water droplets coalesce, and in doing so cleans the surface without manual intervention.

The final embodiment either the upper(2), lower(3), the print or all three surfaces maybe selected such that they are marked when exposed to a laser with a specific frequency. When the marked surface is illuminated from above, below, or from the side, the marked area will interfere with the transmission of the light and appear brighter than the background.

00 To secure the print advertisement(1) to the advertising space(8) between the tram tracks(4), a frame(5) will be used which will secure the advertisement to the concrete. This frame(5) will consist of a locking mechanism(20). The Slocking mechanism(20) may consist of four locks(6) or more, one in each comer. These locks(6) will secure the Sadvertisement(l) and can only be released using a key(19)(Figl).

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Claims (15)

1. A device that functions as a point of sale advertisement which is dimensioned as such so has to fit within the tram track(4) of a tram transportation system. The device is such that a person displaced vertically and ri laterally to the sign, at the tram stop, can clearly identify the contents of the advertisement (Figl 0).

2. A device as recited in claim 1 wherein the surface(s)(2) of the sign are made from synthetic polymer based material (Fig protecting the printed advertisement.

3. A surface(2) recited as in claim 2 wherein the synthetic polymer materials are pre-selected so as aC provide protection for the advertising material(1) in the location chosen for its placement(8).

4. Surface(2) as recited in claim 2 wherein the synthetic polymer materials have been modified with the Saddition of additives to improve the clarity, UV resistance and mechanical strength prolonging the life of the Sadvertisement and surface layer. 0 5. A surface(2) as recited in claim 2 where the materials are selected from PVC, UPVC, polyesters (PET, PEN and the like), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polypropylene, polyethylene, acrylic, impact resistant glass CN and the like.

6. A surface as recited in claim 2 wherein the upper surface(16) of the advertisement comprises of a plurality of lenses (Fig The upper surface is covered with an array of lenses(16) at a specific repeating period in relation to the artwork(l) underneath it. By doing so, the observer on the platform will notice a series of magnified images moving orthogonal to the movement of their head, creating a dynamic and striking visual image.

7. A surface as recited in claim 6, where the lenses(16) can be spherical, elliptical, aspherical, Fresnel, cylindrical array and alike wherein the lenses(16) can be convex, or concave (Fig 3).

8. A device as recited in claim 1, where the printed advertisement(1) is as such that when combined with the lenses as in claim 6, can produce an image which may be pseudo stereoscopic, or present dynamic movement (Fig 3).

9. A device as recited in claim 8, where the printed advertisement is printed directly onto the backside of the upper surface(15) which has the array of lenses(16) on the surface side(Fig4). A device as recited in claim 8, where printing an image in the foreground and then printing the periodic image behind it, it is possible to also create a 3 dimensional effect.

11. A device as recited in claim 1, where the advertisement is illuminated from above, below, sides or all three. This can be achieved using one or many LED lights(10) of specific wavelengths, it is possible to consistently vary/accent the colour and specific of the advertisement design(Fig6). Where by the illumination is provided by the incorporation by light emitting diodes into either the upper(2), lower(3) or both surfaces.

12. A device as recited in claim 10, where by the power to illuminate the surfaces is supplied from a battery(s)(17), re-chargeable battery(s)(Fig7),photo voltaic cell(s) or a solar panel(s)(12)(Fig6).

13. A device as recited in claim 11, where by including phosphor luminescent materials into the upper(2), bottom layer(3) or both of the devices, can capture energy during the daylight hours and emit this as light during the darkness, illuminating the advertisement.

14. A device as recited in claim 1, where the upper surface has a series of retro reflective structures(9) which can direct stray/incident light from vehicles including the trams themselves, to illuminate the printed advertisement(l A device as recited in claim 1, wherein an additive(s) is added to the polymer of the upper(2), lower(3) or both surfaces, such that when exposed to the light of an appropriate frequency will fluoresce, phosphoresce at the corresponding wavelength.

16. A device as recited in claim 1 where the upper(2) surface contains microstructures and additives such that droplets of moisture coalesce to form larger droplets which have sufficient mass as to run off the surface, removing contamination on the surface at the same time(Fig2).

17. A device as recited in claim 1 where the upper(2), lower(3) or both surfaces absorb light of a specific wavelength corresponding to those wavelengths emitted by lasers between the UV and the near IR.

18. A surface as recited in claim 17 which is transcribed with an image, directly written by an appropriately selected laser source. 00 S 19. A device as recited in claim 1, where the advertisement is secured to the concrete(8) between the tram tracks(4) using a frame(5), placed in the four corners will be a locking mechanism(6) securing the advertisement to the concrete to prevent damage and most importantly theft.(Fig8& 11) 00 00 iO aO OO