Abstract:
A lens ordering system for submitting an order for a refractive lens online, using a terminal device installed at an order submission source, the lens ordering system includes: a server which displays an input screen, into which power of a lens to be ordered is entered, on a monitor of the terminal device; and a database which stores power data of the lenses available from a lens supply source. The server displays a power range table in which spherical power and astigmatism powers are arranged in columns and rows based on the power data, and automatically enters the spherical power and the astigmatism power corresponding to an intersection section at the same time by designating one of the intersection sections of the columns and rows of the power range table.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to a lens ordering method and to a lens ordering system suitable for the on-line ordering of refractive lenses, such as lenses for spectacles.  
           [0002]    Generally, spectacle retailers have used telephone or facsimile to forward orders for spectacle lenses to spectacle lens makers or wholesalers. Recently, however, as the use of computer and electronic communication device has spread, the submission of orders is increasingly being performed on-line, using available communication device, by employing terminals installed at spectacle retailers.  
           [0003]    However, when ordering lenses on-line, a keyboard or a mouse must be used to select and enter numerical values, such as spherical power (S power) and astigmatism power (C power), which include either a + or a − sign. Therefore, there is some trouble in which troublesome manual labor is required to enter numbers and signs, and input errors tend to occur. Further, to determine whether the maker will be able to supply (manufacture) the lenses and provide the required lens diameters for which an order is submitted, the determination should be made by referring to printed material separately provided by the maker, and it is a troublesome job.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    To solve these shortcomings, there is an object of the present invention to provide a lens ordering method and a lens ordering system that can reduce the required labor and the accompanying input errors, and that can improve the efficiency and accuracy with which orders are submitted.  
           [0005]    In order to solve the aforesaid object, the invention is characterized by having the following arrangement.  
           [0006]    (1) A lens ordering method of submitting an order for a refractive lens online, using a terminal device installed at an order submission source, the lens ordering method comprising the steps of:  
           [0007]    displaying a power range table in which spherical powers and astigmatism powers are arranged in columns and rows, on an input screen into which power of a lens to be ordered is entered and which is displayed on a monitor of the terminal device, based on power data of the lenses available from a lens supply source; and  
           [0008]    automatically entering the spherical power and the astigmatism power corresponding to an intersection section at the same time by designating one of the intersection sections of the columns and rows of the power range table.  
           [0009]    (2) The lens ordering method according to (1), wherein in the displaying step, a lens diameter corresponding to each intersection section of column and row of the power range table is displayed.  
           [0010]    (3) The lens ordering method according to (1), wherein in the displaying step, the power range table is displayed so that stock range and special order range of the lens supply source can be identified.  
           [0011]    (4) The lens ordering method according to (1), wherein in the displaying step, the power range table is displayed so that negative values and positive values of lenses are discriminated.  
           [0012]    (5) The lens ordering method according to (1), wherein in the entering step, the spherical powers and the astigmatism powers of both left and right lenses are automatically entered at the same time.  
           [0013]    (6) A lens ordering system for submitting an order for a refractive lens online, using a terminal device installed at an order submission source, the lens ordering system comprising:  
           [0014]    a server which displays an input screen, into which power of a lens to be ordered is entered, on a monitor of the terminal device; and  
           [0015]    a database which stores power data of the lenses available from a lens supply source,  
           [0016]    wherein the server displays a power range table in which spherical power and astigmatism powers are arranged in columns and rows based on the power data, and automatically enters the spherical power and the astigmatism power corresponding to an intersection section at the same time by designating one of the intersection sections of the columns and rows of the power range table.  
           [0017]    (7) The lens ordering system according to (6), wherein the server displays a lens diameter corresponding to each intersection section of column and row of the power range table.  
           [0018]    (8) The lens ordering system according to (6), wherein the server displays the power range table so that stock range and special order range of the lens supply source can be identified.  
           [0019]    (9) The lens ordering system according to (6), wherein the server displays the power range table so that negative values and positive values of lenses are discriminated.  
           [0020]    (10) The lens ordering system according to (6), wherein the server automatically enters the spherical powers and the astigmatism powers of both left and right lenses at the same time. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0021]    [0021]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a lens ordering system according to the present invention.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example first ordering screen.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example second ordering screen.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example lens power input screen. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0025]    An embodiment according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration, according to the present invention, of a lens ordering system for which the Internet  1  is employed as a communication unit.  
         [0026]    A terminal device  21 , which is located at a spectacle retailer  20  and which is used to submit orders for lenses, and a terminal device  31 , located at a supplier, spectacle lens maker (or a wholesaler)  30 , are respectively connected to a WEB server  11 , which is located at a WEB site  10  and through which the spectacle retailer  20  and the spectacle lens maker  30  communicate with each other. The each terminal device  21  and  31  is computer provided with a display monitor and an input instruction device, such as a keyboard or a mouse. In FIG. 1, only one spectacle retailer  20  and one lens maker  30  are shown; however, the terminal devices of multiple clients can be connected to and can communicate with the WEB server  11 . In this embodiment, the lens maker  30  also serves as a spectacle lens machining company; however, the lens maker  30  and the lens machining company may be constituted by different facilities, and it is assumed that a terminal device located at a separate lens machining company may also be connected to and communicate with the WEB server  11 .  
         [0027]    The terminal device  21  at the spectacle retailer  20  can execute lens order processing by referring to an order homepage prepared by the WEB server  11 , by employing a WEB application running on a WEB browser, such as Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, etc. A database server (DB server)  12 , for storing data for products produced by various lens makers, and order reception and submission data, is located at the WEB site  10  and is connected to the WEB server  11 .  
         [0028]    To order lenses using the terminal device  21  at the spectacle retailer  20 , an operator accesses the order homepage on the WEB server  11 . Then, a log-in screen is displayed on the monitor of the terminal device  21 , and the operator enters an ID and a password which are provided in advance and logs in to a first ordering screen (page), an example of which is shown in FIG. 2. The operator then fills a lens purchase destination section  101  with a purchase destination, a lens machining destination section  102  with a machining destination, and a lens maker section  103  with a lens maker. To fill these sections, the operator can select relevant destinations stored in the DB server  12  in advance (by using a pull-down button provided adjacent to each section). The operator fills a product name section  105  with a product name for a lens and a product code section  106  with a product code. When the operator clicks a list button  108 , the product names and the product codes, which are provided by the lens maker designated in the lens maker section  103 , are retrieved from the DB server  12  and are displayed as a list. Then, when traced outline machining is to be ordered at the same time, a tick mark is entered for a traced outline machining block  110 .  
         [0029]    When the operator has entered the required information and has clicked a “next” button  120  to shift to the next screen (page), a second ordering screen (page) is displayed. FIG. 3 shows a diagram for an example second ordering screen. A lens maker section  130  and a product name section  131  are filled with the data entered for the first ordering screen. On this screen, the prescription values for a lens to be ordered are entered in an S power section  132 , a C power section  133  and an axial angle section  134 , respectively. While these prescription values can be respectively entered by using a keyboard for lenses R (right eye) and L (left eye), a lens power input screen, including a power range table for lenses that can be supplied (produced) in accordance with the product names assigned by the lens makers that were previously entered, can be displayed by clicking a “+” button  140   a , a “−” button  140   b  or an “MIX” button  140   c.    
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the lens power input screen displayed by clicking the “+” button  140   a . On this screen, a power range table  150  having a matrix shape is presented wherein the S power is represented by columns and the C power is represented by rows. Alternatively, however, the S power and the C power may be respectively represented by rows and columns. In this example, the individual power are provided as steps of 0.25 D (diopter); however, they can also be provided as steps of 0.125 D. When the “+” button  140   a  is clicked, the power range table  150  in which the lenses which can be supplied have positive S power and positive C power. Numerical values, such as “75”, “70” and “65”, representing lens diameters (in millimeter units) are input at each intersection section (cells) whereat the S and the C power intersect. The sections (cells) whereat the numerical values of the lens diameter are entered are combinations of the S and the C power that can be supplied. When the “−” button  140   b  is clicked, the power range table  150  is displayed in which the lenses that can be supplied have negative S power and negative C power. When the “MIX” button  140   c  is clicked, the range table  150  is displayed in which the lenses that can be supplied have positive S power and negative C power. The data provided in the range table  150  are stored in advance in the DB server  12  for each named product available from a lens maker, and are retrieved by entering the names of the lens maker and the product.  
         [0031]    To input the S and the C power on the screen, a pointer P is moved to and clicked on an intersection section (cell) whereat the desired S and C power intersect. Through this manipulation, the value of the S power in the corresponding column is entered in an S power column  160 , while at the same time, the value of the C power in the corresponding row is entered in a C power column  161 . When tick marks are entered in advance in both an R lens power block  162   a  and an L lens power block  162   b , only one operation is required to enter the same value for both the R and L lenses. To separately enter a value for these lenses, an unnecessary tick mark is canceled. In FIG. 4, the individual values are entered by clicking a intersection section (cell) whereat S=+2.00 D and C=+1.50 intersect. Since the signs “+” and “−” are set by clicking the “+” button  140   a  and the “−” button  140   b  in advance, excessive input labor can be eliminated and input errors can be prevented. Since only those powers that can be supplied are displayed in the range table  150 , the entry of a power outside the range can also be prevented.  
         [0032]    The range table  150  is so provided that a range for the lenses that a lens maker normally has in stock and a range for special lenses that the maker prepares upon the reception of an order can be identified. In FIG. 4, a range  170   a , for the C powers 0.00 to 2.00 D, indicates the on-hand stock range, while a range  170   b , for the C powers 2.25 to 4.00 D, indicates the special order range. Since the cells in the on-hand stock range  170   a  and the cells in the special order range  170   b  are displayed in different colors, it is easy to determine whether lenses to be ordered fall in the on-hand stock range  170   a  or in the special order range  170   b . In addition, with these screen displays, the input operation and the confirmation operation can be performed at the same time.  
         [0033]    Upon completion of entering the S and the C powers in accordance with the range table  150 , a “confirm” button  172  is clicked. Thereafter, the display screen is changed to the second ordering screen in FIG. 3, in which the values entered by using the screen in FIG. 4 are already shown in the S power section  132  and the C power section  133 . On the second ordering screen, processing required for ordering lenses can be entered in fitting sections  142  and option sections  144 . Then, upon completion of the entries on the second ordering screen, a “next” button  146  is clicked, and since at this time a lens order confirmation screen is displayed, a predetermined input operation can be performed and order data can be transmitted to the WEB server  11 . To order the traced outline machining at the same time, traced outline data obtained by tracing a spectacle frame or a template are also transmitted together. It should be noted that the lens power input screen shown in FIG. 4 is also employed to order lenses that are in stock, and that the WEB server  11  both records order data in the DB server  12  and transmits it, via the Internet  1 , to the terminal device  31  of the designated lens maker  30 .  
         [0034]    The thus described lens ordering method and lens ordering system can be employed for ordering not only lenses for spectacles but also refractive lenses, including contact lenses. Instead of using the Internet, a terminal device located at a lens ordering source and a management server (host computer) located at a lens supplier may employ a private line to communicate with each other.  
         [0035]    As is described above, according to the present invention, both the labor required to prepare a lens order and the errors that occur during this process can be reduced, while the efficiency and the accuracy with which a lens order is submitted can be improved.