System, apparatus and method for determining the feasibility of an optical product

Abstract

A method, system, and non-transitory computer-readable medium for determining feasibility of an optical product are provided. The method includes: obtaining a first input indicating an optical standard associated with a lens via a user interface; obtaining a second input indicating a lens selection via the user interface; identifying one or more frames; and determining whether each of the one or more frames is physically compatible with the lens selection through a fitting simulation based on three-dimensional cutting data, the three-dimensional cutting data being determined based on at least the optical standard. Based on the determination, a feasibility indication for each of the one or more frames is provided to a user via the user interface.

Description

background 1. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates generally to optical product feasibility. In particular, the present invention relates to determining optical feasibility when ordering optical products. 2. Background Technology

[0004] Typically, an eye care professional writes a prescription for glasses, lenses, and / or contact lenses. The patient then selects a frame from a wide variety of frames. The optician can verify the fit and take measurements through two-dimensional cutting. The order is then sent to the manufacturer or laboratory that produces the selected frames and lenses. However, not all combinations of frames and lenses can be produced. For example, some lenses cannot be combined with specific frames. Existing systems (e.g., measuring equipment) may not take into account lens design limitations, frame limitations, and cutting. In some cases, the optician who performs the prescription is inexperienced. Conventional cutting charts in two dimensions alone are not enough to determine the feasibility of an optical product. If the frame and lens combination cannot be produced (a situation that may take days to discover), the order is canceled. A large number of orders are canceled every day due to fitting problems and cutting / diameter issues.

[0005] Therefore, as recognized by the present inventors, what is needed is a method and system that can determine the feasibility of an optical article before an order is accepted and transmitted to a manufacturing facility.

[0006] The foregoing "background" description is intended to generally introduce the context of the present disclosure. The work of the inventors (to the extent described in this background section) and aspects of the specification that may not be identified as prior art at the time of filing are neither explicitly nor implicitly admitted to be prior art against the present invention. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present disclosure relates to a method for determining feasibility of an optical article. The method includes: obtaining, via a user interface, a first input indicating an optical standard associated with a lens; obtaining, via the user interface, a second input indicating a lens selection; identifying one or more frames; determining, using processing circuitry, whether each of the one or more frames is physically compatible with the lens selection by performing a fitting simulation based on three-dimensional cutting data, the three-dimensional cutting data being determined based on at least the optical standard; and providing, via the user interface, a feasibility indication for each of the one or more frames to a user based on the determination.

[0008] The foregoing paragraphs are provided as a general introduction and are not intended to limit the scope of the following claims.The described embodiments, together with further advantages, will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] A more complete appreciation of the present disclosure and its many attendant advantages will be readily obtained as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0010] Figure 1 is an exemplary simplified diagram of a feasible system for an optical article according to an example;

[0011] Figure 2 is a flow chart of a method for determining feasibility of an optical article according to one example;

[0012] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a user interface of a system according to an example;

[0013] Figure 4A 、 Figure 4B 、 Figure 4C 、 Figure 4D 、 Figure 4E and Figure 4F is a schematic diagram illustrating a user interface of a system according to an example; and

[0014] Figure 5 is an exemplary block diagram of a computer according to one example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference numerals designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, the following description relates to a system and associated method for determining the feasibility of an optical product. The method described herein determines three-dimensional cutting data. Pre-calculating the relationship between frame, prescription, and lens designs prevents job cancellations due to incompatibilities during the manufacturing process.

[0016] In the sense of the present invention, the term "optical article" may refer to an ophthalmic article, for example an ophthalmic lens intended to be mounted on a spectacle frame.

[0017] Figure 1 FIG2 is an exemplary diagram of an optical product feasibility system 100 (referred to herein as system 100 ) according to one example. System 100 provides a three-dimensional cut chart for determining optical product feasibility. System 100 may include a client device 102 connected to a server 104 via a network 106 and a database 108 .

[0018] Client device 102 may represent one or more client devices. Client device 102 may be a computer, laptop, smartphone, tablet, PDA, etc. Client device 102 may include processing circuitry to operate independently and / or assist in operating system 100. Client device 102 may include an interface, such as a digital and / or physical keyboard and / or mouse and / or touch-based input functionality, to allow an operator to input optical standards, for example. A user may activate system 100 and obtain results output by the system through the user interface.

[0019] Server 104 may represent one or more servers connected to client devices 102 and database 108 via network 106. Server 104 may include processing circuitry for performing various processes for system 100, including receiving requests from one or more of client devices 102 via network 106. In addition, server 104 may transmit information to one or more of client devices 102 and database 108 via network 106. Server 104 may include, for example, Figure 5 CPU 500 and memory 502 are shown.

[0020] The network 106 may represent one or more networks connecting the client device 102, the server 104, and the database 108. Suitable networks may include any one or more of a local intranet, a PAN (personal area network), a LAN (local area network), a WAN (wide area network), a MAN (metropolitan area network), a VPN (virtual private network), or a SAN (storage area network), or interfaces therewith. In addition, communications may also include links to any of a variety of wireless networks, including WAP (wireless application protocol), GPRS (general packet radio service), GSM (global system for mobile communications), CDMA (code multiple division access) or TDMA (time multiple division access), a cellular telephone network, GPS (global positioning system), CDPD (cellular digital packet data), Bluetooth radio, or radio frequency based on IEEE 802.11.

[0021] The database 108 may represent one or more databases. For example, the database 108 may represent a frame database, a lens database, and / or a prescription database. The database 108 may store data associated with a plurality of frames and lenses, as well as patients. This data may include lens cut charts, lens materials, lens shapes, lens diameters, lens thicknesses, frame sizes, frame identifiers, frame colors, eye sizes corresponding to the frames, nose bridge sizes corresponding to the frames, temple lengths, frame types, frame edge types, frame base curves, frame shapes, patient prescriptions, and the like. The database 108 of the system may be implemented in a memory on the server 104. In one embodiment, the database 108 may be a cloud-based storage system.

[0022] The lens data may be provided by a lens provider. Once a new lens design is available, the lens data may be updated. The lens data may refer to a collection of one or more data that characterize an ophthalmic lens. The data may include one or more geometric features and / or one or more optical features of the lens, such as the front and back arc radii, the middle or edge thickness, the refractive index of the lens material, etc. Alternatively or additionally, the server 104 may be connected to a lens provider database to check whether updated data is available. The server 104 may also be connected to a frame manufacturer database to determine whether new or updated frame data is available. In response to determining that updated data is available, the database 108 is updated.

[0023] Server 104 receives optical criteria from client device 102 and identifies available lens designs. Further, one or more frames may be selected. These optical criteria correspond to ophthalmic prescription data, which includes one or more of spherical data, cylindrical data, axial data, and magnification data. A calculation is performed using these optical criteria, the lens design data, and the frame data associated with the selected frame or frames to determine whether the lens can be successfully cut. In other words, server 104 can determine whether the dimensions of the frame selection fall outside the three-dimensional lens data.

[0024] In one embodiment, the frame can be identified after obtaining the optical standard. The server 104 can then identify one or more lenses that are compatible with the frame based on the lens data and the frame data. The compatible lenses are displayed to the user via the client device 102.

[0025] The description herein is provided with reference to a system located and implemented externally to the client device 102. However, it should be understood that the system may alternatively or additionally be implemented within the client device 102, in which case the client device 102 may include a computer program that is associated with the client device 102. Figure 5 , and the database of the system may correspond to the memory of the client device 102. Further, in some embodiments, the system 100 may be implemented as an application that can be downloaded to the client device 102.

[0026] Figure 2 is a flow chart of a method 200 for determining feasibility of an optical article using the system 100 , according to one example.

[0027] At S202, a first input indicating optical standards associated with a lens is obtained. For example, a user may input data via a user interface. These optical standards may be ophthalmic prescriptions. Alternatively or additionally, the first input indicating the optical standards may be obtained from database 108. For example, a user may input identification information associated with a patient. Then, based on this identification information, optical standards are retrieved from database 108. For example, these optical standards may be associated with the patient's past ophthalmic prescriptions.

[0028] The first input may also include measurement data, which may include, but is not limited to, patient facial measurements, pupillary distance (PD), vertex, anteversion angle, frame wrap angle, sub-lens height, optical center height, facial shape, etc. The measurements may be measured and input manually or using a measurement system. For example, the measurement system may output the measurement data to the server 104.

[0029] At S204, a second input indicating a lens selection is obtained via the user interface. For example, the second input may be a touch on a portion of a display displaying one or more lens selections. In one example, a set of lenses is identified based on optical criteria. The set of lenses is then provided to the user via the user interface. The lens design / type may be a progressive lens, a safety lens, a prescription lens, a single vision lens, a bifocal lens, a trifocal lens, etc.

[0030] In S206, one or more frames are identified. The system 100 may prompt the user to identify the one or more frames. In one example, a unique identifier, such as a universal product code, may be entered via the user interface.

[0031] In S208, the server 104 may determine whether each of the one or more frames identified in S206 is physically compatible with the lens selection identified in S204 by performing a fitting simulation based on the three-dimensional cutting data determined based on the optical standard, the frame data, and the lens data. The fitting simulation is based on the first input including the optical standard, the second input, and the frame identified in step S206.

[0032] The server 104 may retrieve frame data for each of the frames identified in S206 from the database 108. The server 104 may also retrieve lens data for each lens selected from the database 108. The server 104 may then determine three-dimensional cutting data based on the retrieved frame data and lens data and the optical standard.

[0033] In one example, the server 104 may match the frame curve with the lens curve / base curve. The base curve may be determined based on the optical standard obtained in S202. For example, the server 104 may verify whether the frame curve and the lens curve are compatible based on a three-dimensional representation of the frame curve and the lens curve.

[0034] In one example, the processing circuitry of server 104 may compare three-dimensional parameters of the frames and lenses to determine whether the selected frames and lenses are compatible.

[0035] In one embodiment, the server 104 determines the optimal front base curve of the lens based on optical standards and lens materials. The server 104 then optimizes the front base curve to match the selected frame while taking into account lens feasibility (i.e., step S206). In response to the server 104 being unable to match the selected frame with the base curve, the server 104 may output the optimal curve for the selected frame.

[0036] At S210, based on the determination at S208, a feasibility indication for each of the one or more frames is provided to the user via a user interface. For example, the feasibility indication may include a list of compatible frames and a list of incompatible frames. In one example, one or more attributes of the displayed one or more frame identifiers are different. For example, incompatible frames may be displayed using a first color, while compatible frames may be displayed using a second color. In another example, the user interface may be updated to display only compatible frames.

[0037] In one embodiment, in response to determining that the frames, lenses, and optical standards are incompatible, the client device 102 may prompt the user to input an alternative frame. The process then proceeds to step S208.

[0038] In one embodiment, in response to determining that one or more frames are incompatible with the lens selection, one or more alternative frames associated with each incompatible frame are identified based on multiple factors. The multiple factors may include frame color, frame size, frame shape, frame material, and frame series. In one example, the multiple factors are weighted. In one embodiment, the CPU 500 calculates the weight of each factor based on past data. The past data includes optical standards and optical frame data stored in the memory 502. In other words, the weight combination with the highest success rate based on the optical standards can be used. Additionally or alternatively, the weights can be manually set based on factors that are important to the user. For example, based on user preferences, frame size can have a higher weight. The server 104 can output alternative frames with the frame size preferred by the user.

[0039] The server 104 may automatically determine the user's preferences based on the one or more frames identified in S206. Common attributes of the one or more frames may be identified. For example, the server 104 may determine that the one or more frames identified have large frames or are black in color. The server 104 may then identify alternative frames that match the common attributes.

[0040] Once compatible frames are identified, an order including the optical criteria, lens design, and compatible frame identifiers may be transmitted to the manufacturer.

[0041] Although the flowchart shows a specific order of executing functional logic blocks, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, the order in which the blocks are executed may be changed relative to the order shown. Likewise, two or more blocks shown in succession may be executed simultaneously or partially simultaneously.

[0042] Figure 3 3 is a schematic diagram 300 illustrating a user interface of a system according to one example. At S302, ophthalmic prescription data 304 is input into the system 100. At S306, the system 100 may identify one or more lenses based on the ophthalmic prescription data 304. At S308, one or more lens designs may be presented to the user on a user interface 310 for selection. At S312, the system 100 may identify a blank selection 314. At S316, the system 100 may output, via a user interface 318, a frame selection recommendation based on the lens curve determined according to optical standards. The recommendation may include features of a preferred frame based on the lens curve and the data. For example, the recommendation may include frame size and front curve features, such as front curve and pupil distance. The recommendation may also include visual representations of these features to facilitate user selection.

[0043] At S320, the user may enter a unique identifier for one or more frames. The number of frames may be limited to five. At S322, alternative frames may be presented to the user. For example, as previously described herein, an alternative frame may be presented for each incompatible frame. At S324, a verified order including the ophthalmic prescription and the selected frames is output via the client device 102.

[0044] Figures 4A to 4F A user interface of the system 100 is shown according to one example. The user interface is a portion of a website, web portal, personal computer application, or mobile device application configured to allow a user to interact with the server 104. The user interface may include a "Prescription Selection" pane 400.

[0045] The "Prescription Selection" pane 400 presents the user with an input box 412 for entering ophthalmic prescription data. The pane 400 may also include a boxed prescription 414 for the patient.

[0046] The user interface may also include a “lens selection” pane 402. The “lens selection” pane 402 presents the user with a list 416 of lens designs that are compatible with the ophthalmic prescription data entered in the “prescription selection” pane 400. The “lens selection” pane 402 may be opened at Figure 2 The pane 402 may also include a navigation control 418 for accessing the "frame selection" pane 404. The navigation control 418, when selected, presents the "frame selection" pane 404 to the user.

[0047] The "frame selection" pane 404 may include a drop-down menu, a search box, or other selection control for the user to identify one or more favorite frames. The "frame selection" pane 404 may also include a second navigation control 420 for accessing a "favorite frame selection" pane 406. The "favorite frame selection" pane 406 may include a list of one or more frames selected using the "frame selection" pane 404. The user may try on one or more of the favorite frames and select a frame using the "favorite frame selection" pane 406. The "favorite frame selection" pane 406 may also include a third navigation control 422. Upon activating the third navigation control 422, the user may be presented with a "measurement results and feasibility pane 408."

[0048] The "Measurement Results and Feasibility" pane 408 may include an input box 424 for inputting assembly measurement results. The "Measurement Results and Feasibility" pane 408 may also include a message board area 426 for outputting feasibility determination results. For example, after the user inputs the assembly measurement results, the server 104 may execute Figure 2 The user interface may further include a tracking size pane 410. The user interface may also present information about the lenses and frames, as well as other information related to eye care, to the user.

[0049] Features of the present disclosure provide multiple improvements in the field of optical product manufacturing technology. System 100 significantly saves time and costs. The system and associated methods accelerate the delivery of optical products by providing feedback during the sales phase, when replacement decisions are optimal, rather than days later, which can delay the delivery of optical products. In addition, the system is capable of storing, calculating, and analyzing large amounts of data to determine feasibility. Therefore, computer-determined feasibility provides the following advantages: it provides a faster and more accurate determination based on large amounts of data processing that cannot be completed by humans. This solves the problem of any human interaction that may result in errors based on the experience of the optician. In addition, when new information and modifications from manufacturers and laboratories are detected, generating alarm signals to client devices and updating the database provides faster results while minimizing errors. Therefore, the significance of the system and associated methods described herein far exceeds the abstract concepts based on the improvements and advantages described herein.

[0050] In one example, the system and associated method described herein can save an estimated $312K in additional sales.A manufacturing facility can cancel approximately 60 orders per week.

[0051] In one embodiment, the functions and processes of the server 104 and / or the client device 102 may be implemented by the computer 526. Figure 5 The hardware description of the computer 526 according to the exemplary embodiment is described below. Figure 5 In the embodiment of the present invention, a computer 526 includes a CPU 500 that performs the processes described herein. Process data and instructions can be stored in a memory 502. These processes and instructions can also be stored on a storage medium disk 504, such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a portable storage medium, or can be stored remotely. Further, the claimed improvements are not limited by the form of the computer-readable medium that stores the instructions of the processes of the present invention. For example, the instructions can be stored on a CD, DVD, flash memory, RAM, ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, hard disk, or any other information processing device (such as a server or computer) with which the computer 526 communicates.

[0052] Further, the claimed advancements may be provided as a utility application, a background daemon, or a component of an operating system, or a combination thereof, that operates in conjunction with the CPU 500 and, for example, Solaris, Apple etc. operating systems and other systems known to those skilled in the art.

[0053] To realize the computer 526, these hardware components can be implemented by various circuit system components known to those skilled in the art. For example, the CPU 500 can be a CPU manufactured by Intel Corporation. or Processor may come from AMD in the United States The CPU 500 may be a processor, or other processor types that will be recognized by those skilled in the art. Alternatively, as will be recognized by those skilled in the art, the CPU 500 may be implemented on an FPGA, an ASIC, a PLD, or using discrete logic circuits. Further, the CPU 500 may be implemented as multiple processors working in parallel to execute the instructions of the process of the present invention described above.

[0054] Figure 5 The computer 526 in the embodiment also includes a network controller 506, such as an Intel Ethernet PRO network interface card from Intel Corporation, for interfacing with the network 106. As will be appreciated, the network 106 can be a public network (such as the Internet), or a private network (such as a LAN or WAN network), or any combination thereof, and can also include a PSTN or ISDN subnetwork. The network 106 can also be wired (such as an Ethernet network), or can be wireless (such as a cellular network, including EDGE, 3G and 4G wireless cellular systems). A wireless network can also be or any other form of wireless communication known.

[0055] The computer 526 further includes a display controller 508, such as a display controller from NVIDIA Corporation of the United States. GTX or Graphics adapter for interfacing with a display 510, such as a Hewlett HPL2445w LCD monitor. General purpose I / O interface 512 interfaces with a keyboard and / or mouse 514, and an optional touch screen panel 516 on or separate from display 510. General purpose I / O interface also connects to various peripherals 518, including printers and scanners, such as those from Hewlett Packard Enterprise. of or

[0056] The general storage controller 520 connects the storage medium disk 504 to the communication bus 522 to interconnect all components of the computer 526. The communication bus may be ISA, EISA, VESA, PCI, etc. For the sake of brevity, the general features and functions of the display 510, keyboard and / or mouse 514, as well as the display controller 508, storage controller 520, network controller 506 and general I / O interface 512 are omitted here because these features are well known.

[0057] Obviously, many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings.It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.

[0058] Therefore, the foregoing discussion discloses and describes only exemplary embodiments of the present invention. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential features of the present disclosure. Therefore, the disclosure of the present invention is intended to be illustrative, rather than limiting, the scope of the present invention and the scope of the other claims. The present disclosure (including any readily discernible variations of the teachings herein) partially defines the scope of the aforementioned claim terms so that no inventive subject matter is dedicated to the public.

Claims

1. A method for determining the feasibility of an optical product, the method comprising: obtaining, via a user interface, a first input indicating an optical standard associated with a lens; identifying a set of lenses based on the optical criteria; providing the set of lenses to the user via the user interface; obtaining, via the user interface, a second input indicating a lens selection; identifying one or more frames; Retrieving frame data from a frame database based on the identified one or more frames; obtaining lens data from a lens database based on the lens selection; determining three-dimensional cutting data based at least on the optical standard, the frame data and the lens data; determining, using processing circuitry, whether each of the one or more frames is physically compatible with the lens selection by performing a fitting simulation based on the three-dimensional cutting data; as well as A feasibility indication is provided to a user via the user interface for each of the one or more frames based on the determination.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: In response to determining that one or more frames are incompatible with the lens selection, one or more alternative frames associated with each incompatible frame are identified based on multiple factors, the multiple factors including frame color, frame size, frame shape, frame material, and frame series.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein: Each of the plurality of factors is weighted based on user input.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein: The optical standard corresponds to ophthalmic prescription data, the ophthalmic prescription data including one or more of spherical data, cylindrical data, axial data, and magnification data.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein: The step of obtaining the first input includes obtaining an ophthalmic prescription via the user interface.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein: The identifying includes prompting a user input indicative of the one or more frames.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: Recommended criteria for frame selection are provided based on the lens curvature determined according to the optical criteria.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein: The recommended criteria include anterior arc line and pupillary distance.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising: Match the base curve to the lens curve.

10. A system for determining the feasibility of an optical product, the system comprising: user interface; as well as processing circuitry configured to: obtaining, via the user interface, a first input indicating an optical standard associated with a lens, identifying a set of lenses based on the optical criteria; providing the set of lenses to the user via the user interface; obtaining, via the user interface, a second input indicating a lens selection, Identify one or more frames, Retrieving frame data from a frame database based on the identified one or more frames; obtaining lens data from a lens database based on the lens selection; determining three-dimensional cutting data based at least on the optical standard, the frame data and the lens data; determining whether each of the one or more frames is physically compatible with the lens selection by performing a fitting simulation based on the three-dimensional cutting data, and A feasibility indication is provided to a user via the user interface for each of the one or more frames based on the determination.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer readable instructions, which when executed by a computer causes the computer to perform a method for determining feasibility of an optical product, the method comprising: obtaining, via a user interface, a first input indicating an optical standard associated with a lens; identifying a set of lenses based on the optical criteria; providing the set of lenses to the user via the user interface; obtaining, via the user interface, a second input indicating a lens selection; identifying one or more frames; Retrieving frame data from a frame database based on the identified one or more frames; obtaining lens data from a lens database based on the lens selection; determining three-dimensional cutting data based at least on the optical standard, the frame data and the lens data; determining whether each of the one or more frames is physically compatible with the lens selection by performing a fitting simulation based on the three-dimensional cutting data; as well as A feasibility indication is provided to a user via the user interface for each of the one or more frames based on the determination.

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