WO2015037976A1

WO2015037976A1 - Method of printing advertisements on a polygonal box

Info

Publication number: WO2015037976A1
Application number: PCT/MY2014/000227
Authority: WO
Inventors: Xue Jieh CHEAH; Kuok Chyuan GAN
Original assignee: Cheah Xue Jieh; Gan Kuok Chyuan
Priority date: 2013-09-10
Filing date: 2014-09-08
Publication date: 2015-03-19
Also published as: CN105637547A

Abstract

A method is disclosed for printing messages on a polygonal box having a plurality of surface panels whereby a predetermined number of messages is designated to be printed for each of said plurality of panels. The method comprises firstly, identifying, from among said predetermined number of messages for respective panels, the first panel with the lowest number. This is followed by running the printing of the respective plurality of said panels in said lowest number of prints, and pausing printing upon reaching said lowest number for next step. Next is the step of reassigning said first panel which balance now equals zero, with a new input of a predetermined number of messages designated to be printed for said panel. Then, from balances of unprinted numbers of the remaining panels, the next panel with the remaining lowest number is identified. These steps may be repeated with new input.

Description

Method of printing advertisements on a polygonal box

TECHNICAL FIELD

[001] This invention generally relates to a method of printing messages on the surfaces of a box, such as a disposal or takeaway lunch box. Specifically, the box may be any polygonal shape with hinged or detachable cover, providing multiple surfaces on which separate advertisements may be printed on. In particular, a method of printing assigned batch numbers of multiple advertisements on each surface of the box is described.

BACKGROUND ART

[002] Using available surfaces on product packaging for printing messages such as advertisements has been practiced since the invention of the packaging itself. Packaging types that are more popularly used in printing messages or

advertisements includes disposable or takeaway boxes comprising a plurality of external surfaces readily seen by consumers.

[003] Definitions. In this specification, the term "messages" may also be used interchangeably with "advertisements" to include notices and commercial message which might be paid for by the box dispensing party, vendor which product is contained in the box (e.g. restaurant or food hawker) or by third parties, as well as non-commercial messages (e.g. lost pet, lobbying, community message) or by interested parties, etc. "Polygonal" (originally 2-dimensional) is also used herein to mean the various possible 3-dimensional polyhedron shapes of the boxes. By referring to "lunch boxes" we also mean any box-like packages for products whether they are food or not or whether the box is disposable or not and as long as the box has surfaces allowing for advertisement to be printed affixed thereon. [004] In Japanese Patent Publication No. JP 2007261684 (Rengo) even the inner flaps are used for printing advertisements to extend or maximize surface area available for the purpose. Similarly, in JP 2005181573 (Dainippon) even hidden surfaces of a folded or sealed polygonal carton beverage box which comes into view when opened or unsealed is also subjected to advertising, thus saturating the prior art in respect of the physical aspects of the box.

[005] A number of prior art also exists on providing advertising or other content on a polygonal box by various processes such as in PRC Patent Publication No. CN 201150322 which discloses any one or combination of (i) printing, (ii) adhering a printed sticker, or (iii) compounding on a thin film laminated on an outer surface of a portable quick lunch box. A disposable lunch box may also carry third party advertisements as a means of defraying costs of the box provided free to a takeaway customer, or even earn revenue for the media provider, depending on how the advertisement space - in form of specific surface panels of the lunch box - is managed and sold.

[006] Managing and optimizing advertisement layouts in a printed publication, e.g. a magazine, in a sophisticated system implemented by a computerized system is disclosed in US 6,366,918 (Guttman). For post-printed publications, means for folding and inserting brochures or catalogs into a main publication is also known, e.g. in US 4,720,091 (Kohler). [007] To self-finance giveaway lunch boxes and to make advertising on a lunch box affordable, each of the surface panels of the polygonal box may be separately sold to carry third parties advertisements. Reducing the advertising cost further to "micro-adex" (advertising expenditure) levels would allow each surface panel to be sold for a low batch number of prints, e.g. 500 or even just 100 prints, per run. Based on panel size and visibility or exposure, the panel pricing may also be different, e.g. the top panel being the bigger surface and offer better visibility, is likely to be priced more than that of other panels or parts of the box. [008] There is however a lack of teaching on managing and optimizing advertisement printing in batch numbers on the basis of each panel surface of a polygonal box. Coupled with the different advertising rates of different panels forming the takeaway or lunch box, there is thus a need for a method of managing batch-printing of advertisements on polygonal boxes with a given budget

(conversely, for providing a quotation) and/or certain batch number of prints for a particular panel location or size.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[009] Our present invention endeavours to provide a method for allowing advertisements to be printed on lunch boxes on a tiny budget or micro-adex. This is enabled by allowing for the printing to be appropriated on a per-panel-basis of the box. As there are various factors affecting preference or choice of the panel location of the box and, ultimately, the pricing of each panel, it is desirous to have a method of managing and optimizing the batch printing of advertisements on selected panels based on a given budget.

[010] In a general embodiment, our invention comprises a method for printing messages on a polygonal box having a plurality of surface panels,; and wherein a predetermined number of messages is designated to be printed for each of said plurality of panels; the method comprising the steps of:

(i) identifying, from among said predetermined number of messages for

respective panels, the first panel with the lowest number;

(ii) running the printing of the respective plurality of said panels in said

lowest number of prints, and pausing printing upon reaching said lowest number for next step;

(hi) reassigning said first panel which balance now equals zero, with a new input of a predetermined number of messages designated to be printed for said panel;

(iv) identifying from balances of unprinted numbers of the remaining panels, the next panel with the remaining lowest number; and (v) repeating preceding steps for next predetermined number of messages.

[Oil] Preferably, step (iv) is substituted with identifying the panel with the highest number from among the respective balances from step (hi); and step (v) is substituted with printing in numbers of said balances on the respective remaining panels of at least one default message. More preferably, the default message is blank space.

[012] Preferably still, step (ii) is substituted with printing the respective plurality of said panels by the respective number of prints.

[013] In one aspect of our method, the panel with the highest number of messages to be printed is identified and the balance of the respective remaining panels to be printed with the default message is set such that all panels may be printed to simultaneously reach zero.

[014] In a second aspect, each panel is designated a respective first parameter and the number of messages to be printed on a panel is taken as a second parameter, and wherein a print job value is taken as the product of the first and second parameters. Preferably, a print job value is taken as a total of at least two panels' products of the first and second parameters.

[015] In a third aspect, the messages printed including any one or combination of advertisements, including third party advertisements, user or consumer instructions, safety or health warnings, product information, news bulletins, URLs, community messages and the like. Preferably, the remaining balances of messages to be printed for all panels are the same and enabling the process to quit.

[016] Accordingly, a polygonal box may be provided with messages printed by the aforesaid method with an apparatus incorporating at least a printer and an application implementing the method. LIST OF ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

[017] The drawings accompanying this specification as listed below may provide a better understanding of our invention and its advantages when referred to in conjunction with the detailed description that follows as exemplary and non- limiting embodiments of our method:

[018] FIGURE 1 (Prior Art) shows examples of disposable takeaway or lunch boxes of various polygonal shapes and design, with corresponding surfaces upon which advertisement may be placed or printed.

[019] FIGURE 2 illustrates a flowchart according to a method of printing advertisements on the surfaces of an exemplary polygonal box. [020] FIGURE 3 indicates an example of a spread- or flatten-out layout of the lunch box according to FIG. 1A or IE.

[021] FIGURE 4 displays an order input flow to a printing table for a lunch box according to the embodiment of FIG. 3.

[022] FIGURE 5 presents another order input flow wherein each panel is assigned its own standby print order.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF [SPECIFIC / PREFERRED] EMBODIMENTS

[023] Takeaway or lunch boxes may have different polygonal shapes as shown in FIGURE 1 (Prior Art). A basic rectangular box is shown in FIG. 1A comprising a lower container portion 3, 4 wherein the product or food may be placed, and a top cover 1 which back edge is usually hinged to the container. Such typical hinged cover boxes may provide up to six surfaces or panels whereupon messages or advertisements may be printed or stuck thereon. FIG. IB shows a Japanese lunch (Bento) box wherein its cover 2 is detachable when opened and used as a base for the opened container. It may be noted that the cover's sides may provide for four additional panels for advertising purposes, thus such boxes may have up to ten panels available. Yet another type of box having 10 panels is the clam-shell burger box shown in FIG. 1C which also has 10 panels.

[024] It should further be noted that the inside panels or surfaces 5 of the box, such as that illustrated in FIG. IE, may also be made available for advertising purposes which our method may manage equally well, save for the health and safety consideration such as the use of food-grade thin film polymer laminate to protect the food from the print pigment's leaching or contamination. For sufficiently large boxes, each of the panels may even be divided into two or more advertisement areas shown in FIG. IF such as the inside cover 19, 20, side panel 15, 16 and front panel 17, 18. [025] Nevertheless, whether a particular panel is divided into a plurality of print areas would depend on whether the graphic and visual design of the advertisement would fit into the specific area, thus our method of printing micro-adex should be sufficiently flexible to combine or split such panels accordingly. Even for a cube which has 6 equal square panels as shown in FIG. ID, the positioning or

orientation of the box, relative to the cover or lid, surface exposure in use, when stacked, etc. may give rise to advertisers' differential preferences and thus different rates for each of the panels. However, for ease of discussion, the example of a cube having 6 equal square panels with equal advertising rates will be used for illustrating our method for managing and optimizing advertisement printing for each panel surface of a polygonal box.

[026] In one embodiment, each panel of the box may have different pricing dependent on visibility or exposure. For example, the bottom panel D (with reference to FIG. ID), due to its lack of exposure, may have no takers at all and may have to be filled by a default message, e.g. the printer's own advertisement or community messages. In another embodiment, adjacent panels may set as a single contiguous advertising space; for example, with reference to FIG. ID, panels A— D- F and panels C— B-E may each form a contiguous area for printing extended advertisements. Yet another aspect to be considered is that a customer might just provide a certain budget with certain preferences over panel choices and leave it to our method or algorithm to optimize its appropriation in a printing batch. Thus, all these variables and parameters are preferably catered for by an ordering process serving as input to our printing method.

[027] In the general embodiment of our invention, the method for printing advertisements and other messages on a polygonal box having a plurality of surface panels, where a predetermined number of messages are designated to be printed for each of the panels, the method commences with identifying from among the panels the first panel having the lowest predetermined number. Once this lowest number is determined, the printing of all the respective panels is run up to that number before proceeding to the next step. The first panel (which balance is now zero) may now accept a new order in form of an input of a predetermined number of advertisements to be printed on that panel. With all the panels now populated with either fresh input of numbers or refreshed with balance of unprinted numbers, the process may be repeated in which the panel with the lowest number is identified with which the printing is again run up to this number before pausing for the next input for the emptied panel.

[028] For computer implementation of such a method, with reference to FIGURE 2, the procedure may be initialized 202 by loading input parameters in form of the order numbers to be printed on each of the panels A, B, C, E and F (with panel D excluded being the bottom surface and lacking take-up interest) as per the box sample of FIG. ID. The input parameters are checked 204 as for which panel is having the lowest number. Printing 206 is then run up to the lowest number and the remaining unprinted or balance numbers of the other panels are updated or refreshed in the input table. A check 210 is performed on any of the panels having zero balance upon which the next print orders or inputs 212 are taken in for the emptied panels and the process is then repeated 216. Example 1

[029] In the following example, we have collected from 7 customers the respective number of advertisement prints according to the Table 1A below.

Table 1A - Print Order

[030] The printing method would process the above as input parameters for each panel shown as print run in the following Table IB. As there are 5 panels, Customer VTs order of 300 prints and Customer VII's order of 500 prints.

Customer I's 100 prints is identified as the order with the lowest number whereby printing is halted (206) upon reaching this figure. After checking for zero balance (210) empty panels - presently only Panel A - are reloaded with the next print orders (204) on standby list, i.e. Customer VI's order of 300 prints. After refreshing (208) the print run balance, Panel F's balance of 50 prints is identified as the lowest number and printing is resumed to halt upon reaching this figure.

Table IB - Print Run

I 19 :

[031] In one embodiment, if there is no further orders on the standby list, i.e. suppose Panel F is not reloaded with Customer VII's order of 500 prints, the next lowest number will be sought out (207), i.e. Panel C's remaining balance of 100 will be set as the next run of printing which is halted upon reaching zero and the next lowest number be sought out after the remaining print balances are refreshed.

[032] As an alternative embodiment, Customer VII is amenable to printing his batch of advertisements over two or panels of the lunch box, thus we may now have his order of 500 prints in 2 batches of 250 each, or in more batches of fewer prints each, so that the remaining balances after each printing halt is less disparate. As the program will only quit when all parameters = 0, blank or default prints (in form of community messages may be used to fill up the remaining runs of each panels so that all panels reach zero balances simultaneously. Example 2

[033] For panels with different sizes and/or different pricing, the parameter input and standby list would be restricted or limited to the particular panel (or group of panels having the same attributes) instead of inputting or loading to any panel that becomes available when its print run reaches zero. An example of such a lunch box design is that of FIG. 1A or FIG. IE where panels A and F and panels C and E may be grouped together as having the same attributes or advertising rates as shown in FIGURE 3.

[034] As could be seen from the input process in FIGURE 4, when a panel's print run reaches zero in the print table, its new input of print order will be limited to print orders on standby in the same category only. For example, print runs for panels A and F may only accept the next order queued in Category 1. As panel A's 100 prints is the lowest number and is expected to run out first, its next input would be Customer or order VI for 300 prints. Conversely, a new print order may only be queued in the same category. Customer IX's order of 350 prints on front/back panels (C or E) at a predetermined size and price will be limited to queuing in Category 2.

Example 3

[035] However, even when the panel sizes are all the same as in the 6 panels of a cube, advertiser preferences for each panel's different level of exposure when the lunch box is stacked up with others on the shelf or alone, opened in use on a dining table might have impact on advertising price. Hence, as shown in FIGURE 5, order queuing may be provided in a manner appropriating the respective advertisers' orders to the particular panel. In this example, an additional order of 600 prints for panel C is added while the advertisers' preferences for individual panels are revealed. Example 4 - Budget Limit

[036] A number of variations of our algorithm may be made based on the differential panel pricing model. For example, an advertiser may have a given budget and may or may not have a preferred choice of panel. The parameters required to be input into our processing algorithm may be derived in the following manner; where

Batch size (number of boxes to be printed) = N

Budget of each advertiser = B

- Pricing for each panel: - top = Ρτ,

- front = PF,

and - left and right sides = Ps. wherein the order according to the panels' pricing is as follows: PT > PF > Ps (PL + PR) > PB > PL or PR.

[037] Assuming that a customer has a budget of Bi to be spent with preference for the top panel, PT, a pricing logic check will determine

in which case, the print order from customer Bi may be input into our algorithm for printing the top panel.

[038] If— < PT, then Bi budget would have to move on to following panels, in

N

order according to pricing as shown above. Bi

[039] If — > PF, then Bi advertisements will be accepted to be printed on the front panel. B₁

[040] Similarly, if — < PF, the advertisements will be moved on to the left or

N

right side panels. In first encounter with the side panels, both the sides (left + right) (PL + PR) may be treated as one entity (Ps).

Bi

[041] Therefore the criteria to be met would be— > Ps, to enlist advertisements

N

on both side panels left and right. Bi

[042] ^^{e Du}d et will be moved on to the next panel down the list to qualify for the back panel PB. Similarly the budget would have to qualify the

Bi

criteria — > PB, and advertisements will be placed on the back panel. At the last panel available, would be the lowest priced individual side panel PL or PB. If the budget fails to be met at back panel, it will be subjected to the condition

N ^> PB

[043] Upon satisfying either one of the conditions, the advertisements will then be placed for that panel.

Example 5 -Multiple orders

[044] Each party will be subjected to the same evaluation system of the budget, and first come first serve basis will be allocated for the budget. If, for instance, order Bi has satisfied panel PT'S requirements, the next order B2 will begin evaluation of budget at level Ρτ. Once all panels are filled, remaining budgets of clients will be moved on to next batch of outgoing boxes, namely N2. Example 6 - Panel splitting flexibility

B₁

[045] In the event where all inputted budget parameters do not satisfy — < Ρτ

N

then the top two highest budgets will be subjected to the condition where In this case, the top 2 highest budgets in the system will be

automatically advertised on Ρτ, albeit with Ρτ being split into two halves and advertising material of both the top two budgets will be printed thereon.

B

Additionally, if none of the budgets fail to comply with— > PF, then the two budgets

N

B

which are closest to— = PF will be sharing the ad-space on PF.

[046] As different clients have different budgets, any remainder of their budgets after completion of 'Ν' batch would then move on to be allocated on 'N2' batch. With the allocation of adverts to their respective panels based on budgets, the next step would be as issued in Figure 2 algorithm, where printing based on the number of copies would be done.

[047] Conventional flattened box printers does not encounter a series of different budgets or orders for box printing because an advertiser or print order usually encompasses all panels or has the entire surface of the box to itself. The printer would not have multiple 3^rd party advertisements being printed on different sides ofa single box. With the introduction of multiple parties, their budgets and/or orders must be fulfilled separately, and hence the problem can be solved with this algorithm.

[048] In addition to the various embodiments of print orders as described above that may be pre-processed and printing fulfilled by the algorithm and process of our invention, there are many other embodiments associated with the lunch box that may be processed or printed complementarity with our present process. This includes printing perforation for tear-out or fold-out cutleries bearing an advertiser's markings or indicia, tear-out tickets or coupons for promotional or discount purposes and the like. These complementary advertising printings may be made on any of the aforesaid panels or inner flaps, or on specially-designed part or appendage to the box.

[049] Another variation to be considered is the shape of the lunch box which may involve round or oval surfaces instead of polygonal as we have considered above. As long as such surfaces may be apportioned into fixed panel areas, our process and algorithm would be applicable to these round-shaped lunch boxes. A person skilled in information technology will also realize that once understood, our method and/or algorithm may be implemented in various forms, be it as applications or programs running in a printing kiosk in a food court, or configured in a printing system running in a lunch box distributor's factory or distributed over a network. Such modifications and variations in implementation are to be considered as falling within the scope and letter of our invention as defined in the following claims.

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Claims

1. A method for printing messages on a polygonal box having a plurality of surface panels, and wherein a predetermined number of messages is designated to be printed for each of said plurality of panels; the method comprising the steps of:

(i) identifying, from among said predetermined number of messages for

respective panels, the first panel with the lowest number;

(ii) running the printing of the respective plurality of said panels in said lowest number of prints, and pausing printing upon reaching said lowest number for next step;

(iii) reassigning said first panel which balance now equals zero, with a new

input of a predetermined number of messages designated to be printed for said panel;

(iv) identifying from balances of unprinted numbers of the remaining panels, the next panel with the remaining lowest number; and

(v) repeating preceding steps for next predetermined number of messages.

2. A method for printing messages on a polygonal box according to Claim 1 wherein

step (iv) is substituted with identifying the panel with the highest number from among the respective balances from step (iii); and

step (v) is substituted with printing in numbers of said balances on the respective remaining panels of at least one default message.

3. A method for printing messages on a polygonal box according to Claim 2 wherein the default message is blank space.

4. A method for printing messages on a polygonal box according to Claim 1 wherein step (ii) is substituted with printing the respective plurality of said panels by the respective number of prints.

5. A method for printing messages on a polygonal box according to Claim 2 wherein the panel with the highest number of messages to be printed is identified and the balance of the respective remaining panels to be printed with the default message is set such that all panels may be printed to simultaneously reach zero.

6. A method for printing messages on a polygonal box according to Claim 1 wherein each panel is designated a respective first parameter and the number of messages to be printed on a panel is taken as a second parameter, and wherein a print job value is taken as the product of the first and second parameters.

7. A method for printing messages on a polygonal box according to Claim 6 wherein a print job value is taken as a total of at least two panels' products of the first and second parameters.

8. A method for printing messages on a polygonal box according to Claim 1 wherein the messages printed including any one or combination of advertisements, including third party advertisements, user or consumer instructions, safety or health warnings, product information, news bulletins, URLs, community messages and the like.

9. A method for printing messages on a polygonal box according to Claim 1 wherein the remaining balances of messages to be printed for all panels are the same and enabling the process to quit.

10. An apparatus incorporating at least a printer and an application

implementing a method according to any one of Claims 1 - 9.

11. A polygonal box with messages printed by a method according to any one of Claims 1 - 9 or an apparatus according to Claim 10.

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