Case summaryl Ponyl Donkey
Company using a spectacle lensedging system called“Meganetic” (the System)

Patentee of an invention
regarding supply of spectaclelenses (the Invention)•Patent No. 20221027•Filing Date: September 24, 2007•

Registration Date: April 23, 2008•

Started to use the System on
October 1, 2021.

On January 31, 2022, Pony filed a patent infringement lawsuit
against Donkey, seeking:• Injunction against the use of the System1

What is “bevel”?
The term “bevel” refers to a convex protrusion formed on the edge
surface (the side surface of the edge) of a spectacle lens along with thecircumference of the spectacle lens.
Spectacle lens
Bevel

Bevel

Spectacle frame

Rim

Spectacle lensEdge
SurfaceEdgeSurface【Perspectiveview】【Cross Sectionalview】
2

What is “bevel”?
The reason for forming a ”bevel” on a spectacle lens is to preventa spectacle lens from coming off a spectacle frame.
Bevel

GrooveFixingSpectacle
lens

Rim3

Processing of spectacle lenses
When lenses are processed at an optician’s shop
An optician’s shop has both frames and unprocessed lenses.
Unprocessed lenses are processed at the optician’s shop.

Optician’s shop

Unprocessed lensProcessing

4Processing of spectacle lenses
When lenses are processed at a lens processing factory
An optician’s shop has frames.
A lens processing factory has unprocessed lenses.
The lens processing factory processes the unprocessed lenses.

Opticianʼs shop

Processing Factory
Unprocessedlens
Processing

The lens processing factory cannot confirm that the processed lenses will beaccommodated in the rim.

5

Problems of conventional technology /Purpose of the Invention
Problems:l Possibility that the processed lenses delivered to the optician’s shopfrom the lens processing factory are too large to fit in the riml Possibility that the processed lenses have some defects such as fitting
loosely, leaving gaps between the processed lens and the rim

Purpose:To provide a spectacle lens edging system that allows spectaclelenses to be fitted to the rim of a spectacle frame with a high degreeof certainty and efficiency, even when the spectacle lenses areprocessed at a location where the spectacle frame is not immediately
at hand.
6Scope of claimsA

A spectacle lens edging system comprising: a frame measurement
unit for measuring a three-dimensional shape of a rim of a spectacle
frame; and a lens edging unit, connected to the frame measurement
unit via a network, for beveling a spectacle lens,

B wherein the frame measurement unit comprises:
B1 a frame tracer configured to obtain rim shape data regarding the threeB2

dimensional shape of the rim;a measurement terminal configured to calculate the rim circumferential
length along a groove of the rim based on the rim shape data and totransmit data of the rim circumferential length to the lens edging unit,and7

Scope of claims
C wherein the lens edging unit comprises:
C1 an edger configured to bevel a spectacle lens based on prescribed
C2
C3

edging conditions;a lens shape measurer configured to obtain lens shape data regarding
the three-dimensional shape of the beveled spectacle lens; andan edger terminal configured to calculate the lens circumferential length
along the bevel top of the beveled spectacle lens based on the lens
shape data and to determine that the beveled spectacle lens can be
fitted to the rim of the spectacle frame if the difference between thelens circumferential length and the rim circumferential length received
from the measurement terminal of the frame measurement unit iswithin a prescribed range.

8B Frame measurement unit 10
11

B1

1212

B2

Obtain rim shape data

11

The Invention

Measurement
terminal

Frame tracer

1

Frame measurement unit 10

Frame tracer

Measurement
terminal

Calculate rim
circumferential length

・・・・・・

Network90

Rim circumferential
length data

CLens edging unit 50
5157
Edging management
serverEdger5355

52
Lens shapemeasurerEdger
terminal

Edger

C353

Edgerterminal・・・・・・・・・

51

C1

Calculate lens circumferential
lengthDetermine ‘fit’

Beveling

52

C2
Lens shapemeasurer

Obtain lens shape data

9bThe System

Optician’s shop

b1

b2

Frame tracer
Obtain 1000-point data

Shop PC
Transmit 1000-point data

・・・・・・
Network

DonkeyTurtleProcessing
factory

Data centerC´

Data Management
DeviceCalculate rim circumferential
length・・・・・・・・・・・・

Edger

c3
FactoryPCRim
circumferential
length datac1

Calculate the lenscircumferential length
Determine ‘fit’Bevelingc2
Lens shapemeasurer
Obtain lens shape data10

Comparison of the Invention and the System
The Invention

Frame measurement unit
Frame tracer

The System

Optician’s shop
Frame tracer
Shop PC

Measurement terminal（Calculate/Transmit rim circumferential length ）Data center
Data Management Device（Calculate/Transmit rim circumferential length）

Lens edging unit
Edger terminal（Obtain rim circumferentiallength）

Edger / Lens shape measurer

Lens processing factory
Factory PC（Obtain rim circumferential length）
Edger / Lens shape measurer
11Whether the System Satisfies Elements of the Invention(Arguments of plaintiff )Frame measurement unit
The Data Management Device of theSystem corresponds to the “measurementterminal” of the “frame measurementunit” of the Invention.
Elements B2 (a measurement terminal
configured to calculate the rim
circumferential length), and C3 (the rim
circumferential length received from themeasurement terminal of the framemeasurement unit) are satisfied.

Lens edging unit

Optician’s shop
Frame tracer
Shop PC

Data center
Data Management Device(Calculate/Transmit rim circumferentiallength)

Lens processing factory
Factory PC (Obtain rim circumferentiallength）
Edger / Lens shape measurer
12Whether the System Satisfies Elements of the Invention(Arguments of defendant)
Frame measurement unit
The shop PC of the System corresponds
to the “measurement terminal” of the“frame measurement unit “ of theInvention.

Lens edging unit
The Data Management Device of theSystem corresponds to the “lens edging
unit” of the Invention.

Elements B2 (a measurement terminal
configured to calculate the rim
circumferential length), and C3 (the rim
circumferential length received from themeasurement terminal of the framemeasurement unit) are NOT satisfied.

Optician’s shop
Frame tracer
Shop PC

Data center
Data Management Device (Calculate /transmit Rim circumferential length)

Lens processing factory
Factory PC (Obtain rim circumferentiallength)

Edger/ Lens shape measurer
13Whether patent infringement is established or not(Arguments of plaintiff (1))

Joint
Relevancy
Optician’s shop
management
entityWorking thewhole of theInvention

TurtleOptician’s shop
Frame tracer
Shop PC

Data center
Data Management Device (Calculate /transmit Rim circumferential length)

DonkeyLens processing factory
Factory PC (Obtain rim circumferentiallength)

Edger/ Lens shape measurer
14Whether patent infringement is established or not(Arguments of plaintiff (2))

Pawn or tool

Optician’s shop
management
entityPawn or tool

Optician’s shop
Frame tracer
Shop PC

Data center
TurtleData Management Device (Calculate /transmit Rim circumferential length)

Lens processing factory
DonkeyWorking the whole of the Invention

Factory PC (Obtain rim circumferentiallength)

Edger/ Lens shape measurer
15

Whether patent infringement is established or not(Arguments of Defendant)

Optician’s shop
management
entityOptician’s shop
Frame tracer
Shop PC

Working only a part of the Invention

Data centerTurtle

Data Management Device (Calculate /transmit Rim circumferential length)

Working only a part of the Invention

DonkeyLens processing factory
Factory PC (Obtain rim circumferentiallength)

Working only a part of the Invention

Edger/ Lens shape measurer
16