Method for displaying advertisements

Abstract

The present invention concerns a method for displaying advertisements including the steps of providing at least one non-transparent cable for transmitting light in which an end of each non-transparent cable is received by a receiving structure and transmitting light selected from a plurality of colors along the non-transparent cables such that the light is emitted from the ends of the non-transparent cables received by the receiving structure. The emitted light forms a display in accordance with at least one of a pre-programmed design, and the display is an advertisement or a simulated floor covering. The non-transparent cable can be a fiber optic cable, and the method can further include the step of incorporating the receiving structure into an infrastructure. As an example, the infrastructure can be a travelway that supports at least one of vehicular traffic and pedestrian traffic.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for displaying advertisements, comprising the steps of: 
 providing at least one non-transparent cable for transmitting light;    wherein an end of each non-transparent cable is received by a receiving structure; and    transmitting light selected from a plurality of colors along the non-transparent cables such that the light is emitted from the ends of the non-transparent cables received by the receiving structure;    wherein the emitted light forms a display in accordance with at least one of a pre-programmed design;    wherein the display is an advertisement.    
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the non-transparent cable is a fiber optic cable.  
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the step of incorporating the receiving structure into an infrastructure.  
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the infrastructure is a travelway that supports at least one of vehicular traffic and pedestrian traffic.  
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the step of providing a light emitting controller having a central microprocessor, wherein the light emitting controller also has a port for receiving data.  
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , further comprising the steps of: 
 connecting the port of the light emitting controller to a communications network to permit the central microprocessor to receive data; and    transmitting from a remote location the data along the communications network to the central microprocessor.    
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , further comprising the step of programming the central microprocessor with the design.  
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the communications network is the Internet and the remote location includes a computer.  
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising the step of selecting the pre-programmed design to be displayed from the computer at the remote location.  
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the step of displaying the advertisement in accordance with a predetermined interval.  
     
     
         11 . A method for displaying advertisements, comprising the steps of: 
 providing at least one non-transparent cable for transmitting light;    wherein an end of each non-transparent cable is received by a receiving structure; and    transmitting light selected from a plurality of colors along the non-transparent cables such that the light is emitted from the ends of the non-transparent cables received by the receiving structure;    wherein the emitted light forms a display in accordance with at least one of a pre-programmed design;    wherein the display is a simulated floor covering.    
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the floor covering to be simulated is carpeting.