Patent Description:
Typically, eye care professionals prescribe prescriptions for spectacles, lenses, and/or contact lenses. Then, the patient selects the frames from a variety of frames. The optician may verify the fit and take measurement using a two dimensional cut out. Then, the order is sent to a manufacturer or a laboratory that produces the selected frame and lenses. However, not all frame and lens combinations can be produced. For example, some lenses cannot be integrated with certain frames. Existing systems such as measuring devices may not take in to consideration lens design limitations, frame limitations, and cutout. In some cases, the dispensing optician is inexperienced. The conventional cutout chart being only two dimensional is not sufficient to determine optical article feasibility. If the frame and lens combination cannot be produced, which may take days to find out, the order is cancelled. Every day, a large number of orders are cancelled due to mounting issues and cutout/diameter issues.

Accordingly, what is needed, as recognized by the present inventors, is a method and a system capable of determining optical article feasibility before accepting and transmitting an order to the manufacturing facilities.

The foregoing "Background" description is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the inventor, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description which may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly or impliedly admitted as prior art against the present invention.

The present disclosure relates to a method according to claim <NUM>.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout several views, the following description relates to a system and associated methodology for determining optical article feasibility. The methodologies described herein determine three dimensional cutout data. A frame, prescription, and lens design relationship is pre-calculated to prevent cancelled jobs due to incompatibility at the manufacturing stage.

In the sense of the invention, the term "optical article" may refer to an ophthalmic article, for example an ophthalmic lens intended to be mounted on spectacle frames.

<FIG> is an exemplary diagram of an optical article feasibility system <NUM>, herein referred to as system <NUM>, according to one example. The system <NUM> provides a three dimensional cutout chart to determine optical article feasibility. The system <NUM> can include a client device <NUM> and a database <NUM> connected to a server <NUM> via a network <NUM>.

The client device <NUM> can represent one or more client devices. The client device <NUM> can be a computer, a laptop, a smart phone, a tablet, a PDA, and the like. The client device <NUM> can include processing circuitry to independently operated and/or assist in operating the system <NUM>. The client device <NUM> can include an interface, such as a digital and/or physical keyboard and/or a mouse and/or touch-based input functionality, allowing an operator, for example, to input optical criteria. The users can start up the system <NUM> through the user interface and obtain the results output by the system.

The server <NUM> can represent one or more servers connected to the client device <NUM> and the database <NUM> via the network <NUM>. The server <NUM> can include processing circuitry to perform various processing for the system <NUM> including receiving requests from one or more of the client devices <NUM> via the network <NUM>. Additionally, the server <NUM> can transmit information to one or more of the client devices <NUM> and the database <NUM> via the network <NUM>. The server <NUM> may include a CPU <NUM> and a memory <NUM> as shown in <FIG>.

The network <NUM> can represent one or more networks connecting the client device <NUM>, the server <NUM>, and the database <NUM>. Suitable networks can include or interface with 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). Furthermore, 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 Communication), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) or TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access), cellular phone networks, GPS (Global Positioning System), CDPD (Cellular digit packet data), Bluetooth radio, or an IEEE <NUM> based radio frequency.

The database <NUM> can represent one or more databases. For example, the database <NUM> may represent a frame database, a lens database, and/or a prescription database. The database <NUM> may store data associated with a plurality of frames and lenses and patients. The data includes lens cut-out charts, lens material, lens shape, lens diameter, lens thickness, frame size, frame identifier, frame color, frame eye size, frame bridge size, temple length, frame type, frame edge type, frame base curve, frame shape, patient prescriptions, and the like. The database <NUM> of the system may be implemented in the memory of the server <NUM>. In one embodiment, the database <NUM> may be a cloud based storage system.

The lens data may provided from a lens provider. The lens data may be updated once a new lens design is available. The lens data may refer to a set of one or more data characterizing an ophthalmic lens. The data may include one or more geometrical characteristics and/or one or more optical characteristic of the lens such as, front and back curve radius, center or edge thickness, refeactive index of the material of the lens, and the like. Alternatively or additionally, the server <NUM> may connect to a lens provider database to check whether updated data is available. The server <NUM> may also connect to frame manufacturer databases to determine whether new frames data or updated frame data is available. In response to determining that updated data are available, the database <NUM> is updated.

The server <NUM> receives optical criteria from the client device <NUM> and identifies available lens designs. Further, one or more frames may be selected. The optical criteria corresponds to ophthalmic prescription data including one or more of sphere data, cylinder data, axis data, and magnifying power data. Using the optical criteria, the lens design data, and the frame data associated with the selected one or more frames, a calculation is performed to determine whether the lens may successfully cutout. In other words, the server <NUM> may determine whether the frame selection has a dimension that falls outside of the lens three dimensional data.

In one embodiment, the frames may be identified after the optical criteria are acquired. Then, the server <NUM> may identify the one or more lenses that are compatible with the frames based on the lens data and the frame data. The compatible lenses are displayed to the user via the client device <NUM>.

The description herein is provided with reference to the system being located and implemented external to the client device <NUM>. However, it is to be understood that the system may alternatively or additionally be implemented within the client device <NUM>, where the client device <NUM> may contain hardware similar to that illustrated in <FIG>, and the databases of the system may correspond to a memory of the client device <NUM>. Further, in some embodiments, the system <NUM> may be implemented as an application that may be downloaded on the client device <NUM>.

<FIG> is a flowchart for a method <NUM> for determining optical article feasibility using the system <NUM> according to one example.

In S202, a first input indicative of optical criteria associated with a lens is acquired. For example, a user may input data via a user interface. The optical criteria may be an ophthalmic prescription. Alternatively, or additionally, the first input indicative of optical criteria may be retrieved from the database <NUM>. For example, the user may input identification information associated with a patient. Then, the optical criteria are retrieved from the database <NUM> based on the identification information. For example, the optical criteria may be associated with past ophthalmic prescriptions of the patient.

The first input can also include measurement data that may include, but are not limited to, patient facial measurements, pupillary distance (PD), vertex, pantoscopic tilt, frame wrap, segment height, optical center height, facial shape, and the like. The measurement may be manually measured and inputted or using a measuring system. For example, the measuring system may output the measurement data to the server <NUM>.

In S204, a second input indicative of a lens selection is acquired via the user interface. For example, the second input can be a touch on a portion of a display displaying one or more lens selections. In one example, a set of lens is identified based on the optical criteria. Then, the set of lens is 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, and the like.

In S206, one or more frames are identified. The system <NUM> may prompt the user to identify one or more frames. In one example, a unique identifier such as a universal product code can be input via the user interface.

In S208, the server <NUM> can determine whether each frame of the one or more frames identified in S206 and the lens selection identified in S204 are physically compatible by fit simulation performed based on three dimensional cutout data, wherein the fit simulation is determined based on the optical criteria, the frame data, and the lens data. The fit simulation is based on the first input including the optical criteria, the second input, and the frame identified at step S206.

The server <NUM> may retrieve frame data for each of the identified frames in S206 from the database <NUM>. The server <NUM> may also retrieve lens data from the database <NUM> for each of the lens selection. Then, the server <NUM> may determine the three dimensional cut out data based on the retrieved frame data and lens data and the optical criteria.

In one example, the server <NUM> may match a frame curve to a lens curve/base curve. The base curve may be determined based on the optical criteria acquired in S202. For example, the server <NUM> may verify that the frame curve and the lens curve are compatible based on three dimensional representation of the frame curve and lens curve.

In one example, the processing circuitry of the server <NUM> may compare three dimensional parameters of the frames and the lenses to determine whether the selected frames and the lens are compatible.

In one implementation, the server <NUM> determines a best front base curve of lens as a function of the optical criteria and the lens material. Then, the server <NUM> optimizes the front base curve to match the selected frame (i.e., step S206) while respecting lens feasibility. In response to determining that the server <NUM> cannot match the selected frame and base curve, the server <NUM> may output a best curve for the selected frame.

In S210, a feasibility indication is provided to a user via the user interface for each of the one or more frames based on the determination in S208. For example, the feasibility indication may include a list of compatible frames and a list of non-compatible frames. In one example, one or more attributes of the displayed one or more frame identifiers is varied. For example, non-compatible frames may be shown using a first color and compatible frames may be shown using a second color. In another example, the user interface may be updated to show only compatible frames.

In one embodiment, in response to determining that the frame, lens, and optical criteria are not compatible, the client device <NUM> may prompt the user to input alternative frames. Then, the process proceeds to step S208.

In one embodiment, one or more alternative frames associated with each non-compatible frame are identified based on a plurality of factors in response to determining that one or more frames are not compatible with the lens selection. The plurality of factors can include frame color, frame size, frame shape, frame material, and frame collection. In one example, the plurality of factors are weighted. In one embodiment, the weight of each factor is computed by the CPU <NUM> based on past data. The past data includes stored optical criteria with optical frames data in the memory <NUM>. That is, the combination of weights that has the highest success rate based on the optical criteria may be used. Additionally or alternatively, the weights can be manually set based on what is important to the user. For example, the frame size may have a higher weight based on the user preference. The server <NUM> may output alternative frames having the frame size preferred by the user.

The server <NUM> may automatically determine the user preference based on the one or more frames identified in S206. A common attribute may be identified for the one or more frames. For example, the server <NUM> may determine that the identified one or more frames have a big frame or are black in color. Then, the server <NUM> may identify an alternative frame that matches the common attribute.

Once a compatible frame is identified, an order including the optical criteria, the lens design, and the compatible frame identifier may be transmitted to the manufacturer.

Although the flowcharts show specific orders of executing functional logic blocks, the order of executing the blocks may be changed relative to the order shown, as will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. Also, two or more blocks shown in succession may be executed concurrently or with partial concurrence.

<FIG> is a schematic <NUM> that shows user interfaces of the system according to one example. In S302, ophthalmic prescription data <NUM> are input to the system <NUM>. In S306, the system <NUM> may identify one or more lenses based on the ophthalmic prescription data <NUM>. At S308, the user may be presented with one or more lens designs on user interface <NUM> for selecting one or more lens designs. In S312, the system <NUM> may identify the blank selection <NUM>. In S316, the system <NUM> may output a recommendation for a frame selection based on a lens curve determined as a function of the optical criteria via user interface <NUM>. The recommendation may include characteristics of preferable frames based on the lens curve and data. For example, the recommendation may include characteristic for the frame size and the front curve such as a front curve and pupillary distances. The recommendation may also include a visual representation of the characteristics to facilitate the user selection.

At S320, the user may input unique identifiers of 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, for each non-compatible frame an alternative frame is presented as described previously herein. In S324, the validated order including the ophthalmic prescription and the selected frame is output via the client device <NUM>.

<FIG> show user interfaces of the system <NUM> according to one example. The user interface is part of a website, web portal, personal computer application, or mobile device application configured to allow the user to interact with the server <NUM>. The user interface may include a "prescription select" pane <NUM>.

The "prescription select" pane <NUM> presents the user with input boxes <NUM> for inputting ophthalmic prescription data. The pane <NUM> may also include the patient's boxing prescription <NUM>.

The user interface may also include a "lens select" pane <NUM>. The "lens select" pane <NUM> presents the user with a list <NUM> of lens designs that are compatible with the ophthalmic prescription data inputted in the "prescription select" pane <NUM>. The "lens select" pane <NUM> may be presented to the user at step S204 of <FIG>. The pane <NUM> may also include a navigational control <NUM> for accessing a "frame select" pane <NUM>. The navigational control <NUM>, when selected, presents the user with the "frame select" pane <NUM>.

The "frame select" pane <NUM> may include a drop-down menu, search box, or other selection control for identifying one or more favorite frames by the user. The "frame select" pane <NUM> may also include a second navigational control <NUM> for accessing a "favorite frame select" pane <NUM>. The "favorite frame select" pane <NUM> may include a list of the one or more frames selected using the "frame select" pane <NUM>. The user may try one or more frames from the favorite frames and select one frame using the "favorite frame select" pane <NUM>. The "favorite frame select" pane <NUM> may also include a third navigational control <NUM>. Upon activation of the third navigational control <NUM>, the user may be presented with a "measurement and feasibility pane" <NUM>.

The "measurement and feasibility" pane <NUM> may include an input box <NUM> for inputting fitting measurement. The "measurement and feasibility" pane <NUM> may also include a message board area <NUM> to output the feasibility determination. For example, upon the user inputting the fitting measurement, the server <NUM> may execute step S208 of <FIG>. The user interface may also include a trace dimensions pane <NUM>. The user interface may also present the user with information regarding lens and the frame, and other information related to eye care.

The features of the present disclosure provide a multitude of improvements in the technical field of optical article manufacturing. The system <NUM> provides significant time and cost savings. The system and associated methodologies expedites optical article delivery by providing feedback at the point of sale which is the best time to make an alternate decision rather than several days later which delays the optical article delivery. In addition, the system is capable of storing, computing, and analyzing a large amount of data to determine feasibility. Thus, a computer determined feasibility provides the advantage of expedited and more accurate determination based on large amount of processing of data which could not be feasibly done by a human. This solves the problem of any human interaction which could create errors based on the experience of the optician. In addition, generating alerts to the client device and updating the databases when new information and modification from manufacturers and laboratories are detected provide expedited results while minimizing errors. Thus, the system and associated methodology described herein amount to significantly more than an abstract idea based on the improvements and advantages described herein.

In one example, the system and associated methodologies described herein may save an estimated $<NUM> in additional sales. A manufacturing facility may cancel approximately <NUM> orders per week.

In one implementation, the functions and processes of the server <NUM> and/or the client device <NUM> may be implemented by a computer <NUM>. Next, a hardware description of the computer <NUM> according to exemplary embodiments is described with reference to <FIG>. In <FIG>, the computer <NUM> includes a CPU <NUM> which performs the processes described herein. The process data and instructions may be stored in memory <NUM>. These processes and instructions may also be stored on a storage medium disk <NUM> such as a hard drive (HDD) or portable storage medium or may be stored remotely. Further, the claimed advancements are not limited by the form of the computer-readable media on which the instructions of the inventive process are stored. For example, the instructions may be stored on CDs, DVDs, in FLASH memory, RAM, ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, hard disk or any other information processing device with which the computer <NUM> communicates, such as a server or computer.

Further, the claimed advancements may be provided as a utility application, background daemon, or component of an operating system, or combination thereof, executing in conjunction with CPU <NUM> and an operating system such as Microsoft® Windows®, UNIX®, Oracle® Solaris, LINUX®, Apple macOS® and other systems known to those skilled in the art.

In order to achieve the computer <NUM>, the hardware elements may be realized by various circuitry elements, known to those skilled in the art. For example, CPU <NUM> may be a Xenon® or Core® processor from Intel Corporation of America or an Opteron® processor from AMD of America, or may be other processor types that would be recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art. Alternatively, the CPU <NUM> may be implemented on an FPGA, ASIC, PLD or using discrete logic circuits, as one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize. Further, CPU <NUM> may be implemented as multiple processors cooperatively working in parallel to perform the instructions of the inventive processes described above.

The computer <NUM> in <FIG> also includes a network controller <NUM>, such as an Intel Ethernet PRO network interface card from Intel Corporation of America, for interfacing with network <NUM>. As can be appreciated, the network <NUM> can be a public network, such as the Internet, or a private network such as LAN or WAN network, or any combination thereof and can also include PSTN or ISDN sub-networks. The network <NUM> can also be wired, such as an Ethernet network, or can be wireless such as a cellular network including EDGE, <NUM> and <NUM> wireless cellular systems. The wireless network can also be WiFi®, Bluetooth®, or any other wireless form of communication that is known.

The computer <NUM> further includes a display controller <NUM>, such as a NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX or Quadro® graphics adaptor from NVIDIA Corporation of America for interfacing with display <NUM>, such as a Hewlett Packard® HPL2445w LCD monitor. A general purpose I/O interface <NUM> interfaces with a keyboard and/or mouse <NUM> as well as an optional touch screen panel <NUM> on or separate from display <NUM>. General purpose I/O interface also connects to a variety of peripherals <NUM> including printers and scanners, such as an OfficeJet® or DeskJet® from Hewlett Packard®.

The general purpose storage controller <NUM> connects the storage medium disk <NUM> with communication bus <NUM>, which may be an ISA, EISA, VESA, PCI, or similar, for interconnecting all of the components of the computer <NUM>. A description of the general features and functionality of the display <NUM>, keyboard and/or mouse <NUM>, as well as the display controller <NUM>, storage controller <NUM>, network controller <NUM>, and general purpose I/O interface <NUM> is omitted herein for brevity as these features are known.

Claim 1:
A method for determining ophthalmic article feasibility, the method comprising:
acquiring a first input indicative of optical criteria associated with a lens via a user interface;
acquiring a second input indicative of a lens selection via the user interface;
identifying one or more frames;
determining, using processing circuitry, whether each frame of the one or more frames and the lens selection are physically compatible by fit simulation performed based on three dimensional cutout data, wherein the fit simulation is determined based on the first input, the second input, and the identified one or more frames; and
providing a feasibility indication to a user via the user interface for each of the one or more frames based on the determination.