Patent Description:
Ophthalmic lens treatments may include, but are not necessarily limited to, coatings, tints, films, polarization, photochromic properties, and other techniques for applying treatments to lenses. Ophthalmic lenses are typically treated using batch processes, thus limiting the optimization of the performance of the treatments applied to a particular lens or pair of lenses. Such batch processing typically employs a best acceptable average application of such treatments, thereby providing each individual lens or pair of lenses, at best, a compromise lens treatment. Besides, a calculation system for manufacturing an ophthalmic lens is known from document <CIT>. <CIT> also relates to the manufacture of ophthalmic lenses.

The present invention is directed to a method according to claim <NUM>.

The invention also provides an ophthalmic lens treatment system in accordance with claim <NUM>.

In various embodiments, one or more of the techniques described herein may be performed by one or more computer systems. In other various embodiments, a tangible computer-readable storage medium may have program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by one or more computer systems, cause the one or more computer systems to execute one or more operations disclosed herein. In yet other various embodiments, one or more systems may each include at least one processor and memory coupled to the processors, wherein the memory is configured to store program instructions executable by the processor(s) to cause the system(s) to execute one or more operations disclosed herein.

The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated that the conception and specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the invention as set forth in the appended claims. The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present invention.

Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of the specification and in which like numerals designate like parts, illustrate embodiments of the present invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:.

As noted, the present disclosure relates generally to ophthalmic lens treatment application and more particularly to systems and methods for optimizing the selection and application of ophthalmic lens treatments. Specific embodiments discussed herein relate to systems and methods for optimizing an ophthalmic lens treatment plan by considering the equipment and equipment configurations used to process and treat the lens(es) and/or by taking into account the results of previous treatments. In accordance with embodiments of the present systems and methods, an ophthalmic lens treatment planning system receives lens and ophthalmic lens treatment information from a customer lens order, identification of available equipment to apply ophthalmic lens treatment(s) from the customer order, and performance and parameters of the available equipment. The ophthalmic lens treatment planning system formulates an optimal ophthalmic lens treatment plan to be implemented by the available equipment to apply the ophthalmic lens treatment(s) from the customer order to the lens. Following application of the optimal ophthalmic lens treatment plan to the lens, the resulting lens is measured to provide last run results and the last run results is fed back to the ophthalmic lens treatment planning system to provide further performance and parameters of the available equipment to the ophthalmic lens treatment planning system.

Embodiments of the present systems and methods, employ computer-based models that consider relevant specific aspects of a given lens or pair of lenses. These models optimize the selection of and application of ophthalmic lens treatments. In particular, these models may consider not only the wearer needs but also the equipment used to process and treat the lens(es). Further, the present systems and methods may include an ability of these models to take into account the results of previous treatments in order to optimize the process and equipment to insure the correct result in subsequent treatments. As a result, these models may allow an eye care professional, lens laboratory, or other applicable provider to fully consider and optimize specific needs of a given lens or pair of lenses. Rather than target average output as with batching, the present systems and methods may be used to customize lenses to a greater degree for the wearer. Traditionally, it is not possible or practical to apply lens treatments at such a highly individualized level. Further, traditional systems cannot adjust processes and equipment, in real time, in order to account for process and equipment drifts such that each treatment application may be optimized based on the performance of recently applied treatments. Hence, the present systems and methods provide for personalization of lens treatments, while affording a lens laboratory automation for determining lens treating equipment settings. Use of the present computerized systems and methods gives a more optimized application of lens treatments, taking into account what resulted from the earlier application of similar treatments.

<FIG> is a block diagram of an overview of an embodiment of example ophthalmic lens treatment planning system and process <NUM>, according to various embodiments. System and process <NUM> considers aspects of a given lens, or pair of lenses, relevant to ophthalmic lens treatments for the given lens or pair of lenses, including wearer needs and equipment to be used to process and treat the given lens or pair of lenses. Whereupon system and process <NUM> optimizes selection of and/or application of ophthalmic lens treatments for the given lens or pair of lenses and the equipment.

In the illustrated example, customer order <NUM>'s lens and ophthalmic lens treatment information <NUM> is received in lens treatment modeling functionality <NUM>. Information <NUM> may include, by way of example, information about hard multi-coat lens treatments, such as information about lens coatings, lens tints, lens films, lens polarization, lens photochromic properties, as well as information about techniques for applying treatments to the lens, and further lens surfacing, or lens finishing, or the like. Identification of equipment available (or that may possibly be used) (<NUM>) for application of lens treatments (<NUM>) is provided to lens treatment modeling functionality <NUM>. Modeling functionality <NUM> may in accordance with various embodiments of the present systems and methods, be computer-based and may take the form of a special purpose ophthalmic lens treatment planning system, at least a part of (a) centralized control system(s) for lens treatment equipment, software executing on a computer system, or the like. For example embodiments of the present systems and methods may be incorporated into, or be employed in conjunction with ophthalmic lens laboratory software such as may typically be referred to as a Lab Management System (LMS), a Lens Design System (LDS), or the like. Performance and parameters <NUM> of available equipment <NUM> is also provided to equipment modeling functionality <NUM>. Modeling functionality <NUM> determines, and/or otherwise formulates, ophthalmic lens treatment application plan <NUM> to be applied by the equipment to the lens. That is, formulating and determining ophthalmic lens treatment plan <NUM> to be applied by the equipment <NUM> to the lens may include applying computer-based models to the lens treatment application plan, such as by modeling employment of possible combinations of ophthalmic lens treatments that can be applied to the lens using the available equipment <NUM>. For example, formulating, or otherwise determining, an ophthalmic lens treatment plan may include considering aspects of a given lens or pair of lenses relevant to requested ophthalmic lens treatments for the given lens or pair of lenses, including the equipment available to apply ophthalmic lens treatments and performance and parameters of the equipment, and then considering and optimizing an ophthalmic lens treatment plan for the equipment available to apply ophthalmic lens treatments and performance and parameters of the equipment. Hence, lens treatment plan <NUM> may be defined by equipment <NUM> available to apply the lens treatments and the performance and parameters <NUM> of such equipment, in accordance with various embodiments of the present systems and methods.

In considering aspects of a given lens or pair of lenses relevant to ophthalmic lens treatments for the given lens or pair of lenses, embodiments of the present systems and methods may dynamically account for results of previous ophthalmic lens treatments. For example, as discussed in greater detail below, with reference to <FIG>, following application of the ophthalmic lens treatment plan to the lens <NUM>, the resulting lens may be measured at <NUM> to provide last run results <NUM>. Whereupon, last run results <NUM> may be fed back at <NUM> to provide further performance and parameters <NUM> of the equipment to ophthalmic lens treatment modeling functionality <NUM>.

Returning to lens treatment plans <NUM>, which may be, as noted, defined in light of the equipment available to apply the lens treatments and the performance and parameters of such equipment, attention is directed to <FIG>. Wherein, a block diagram of treatment plan output <NUM> from, by way of example, system and process <NUM> of <FIG>, is shown as including a number of possible plan modeling outputs <NUM> through <NUM>, according to various embodiments. Therein, as discussed above, modeling functionality <NUM> formulates and outputs ophthalmic lens treatment plan <NUM>, which is to be applied by the equipment to the lens, based at least in part on the equipment available to apply the ophthalmic lens treatments and/or the performance and parameters of the equipment. Lens treatment plan <NUM> may include (i.e. call-out) a number of outputs, including, anti-reflective coating output <NUM>, hard coating output <NUM>, tinting output <NUM>, and/or the like. In accordance with various embodiments of the present systems and methods, lens treatment modeling functionality <NUM> may also adjust outputs <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, etc. based on upstream and/or downstream processes and equipment, such as surfacing processes, finishing processes, and/or the like.

Where the ophthalmic lens treatments include an anti-reflective coating, formulation of ophthalmic lens treatment plan <NUM> may result in anti-reflective coating output <NUM>. Formulation of anti-reflective coating output <NUM> may include optimizing any of a number of variable anti-reflective coating process parameters, such as, coating layer thicknesses, application rates, ramps, soaks, ion gun power, gas flows, and/or process pressure. Other anti-reflective coating application parameters related to specifications of equipment available to apply the ant-reflective treatment might also be taken into account, such as, e-gun voltage, available distribution mask size, distribution mask location(s), fixture(s) and/or the like. Thereby, an anti- reflective application process employing the equipment available to apply the ophthalmic lens treatments for lens and taking into account the performance and parameters of the available equipment may be optimized for the lens may be embodied in anti-reflective output <NUM>.

Concurrently, where the ophthalmic lens treatments include a hard coating, formulation of ophthalmic lens treatment plan <NUM> may result in hard coating output <NUM>. Determining hard coating output <NUM> may include optimizing any of a number of hard coating parameters, such as a hard coating thickness, type, cure rate, cure type, as well as available preparation and application equipment and tooling, available lens preparation process(es), lens stripping process(es) and/or the like for the available treatment application process(es). Thereby, a hard coating application process employing the equipment available to apply the ophthalmic lens treatments and taking into account the performance and parameters of the available equipment may be optimized for the lens as hard coating output <NUM>.

Where the ophthalmic lens treatments include tinting, concurrent determination of an ophthalmic lens treatment plan <NUM> my result in tinting output <NUM>. Formulation of tinting output <NUM> may include optimizing any number of tinting process parameters, such as temperature, color, one or more treatment dyes to use, time, or the like. Further, tinting output <NUM> may take into account or call for particular pre-processing, post-processing, tinting gradient parameters, or the like. Tint applicator parameters, and/or dye application processes employed by the equipment available may also be taken into account in tinting output <NUM>. Thereby, a tinting process employing the equipment available to apply the ophthalmic lens treatments and taking into account the performance and parameters of the equipment may be optimized for the lens in the form of tinting output <NUM>.

<FIG> is block diagram for feedback loop control <NUM> such as may, by way of example, be employed in the system and process of <FIG>, according to various embodiments, and as illustrated. As noted, last run results <NUM> may be fed back, such as along illustrated path <NUM> to provide further performance and parameters <NUM> of equipment <NUM> to ophthalmic lens treatment modeling functionality <NUM>. In accordance with such embodiments of the present systems and methods, lens(es) resulting from application of the ophthalmic lens treatment plan <NUM> may be measured at <NUM> to provide such last run results. Last run results <NUM> may include, by way of example, one or more of a measure of the treated lens' spectral performance including reflection, transmission and absorption characteristics as well as spectral parameters, product performance testing results of the treated lens, results of a cosmetic inspection of the treated lens, a measured light through the treated lens, adhesion of the treatment(s) to the lens, resulting scratch resistance of the treated lens, resulting abrasion resistance of the treated lens, chemical resistance of the treated lens, and/or the like.

As discussed herein, performance and parameters <NUM> of equipment <NUM> may be considered in optimizing lens coatings. For example, such optimization may involve a feasibility check based on machine capability and/or maintenance status. In particular performance and parameters <NUM> of equipment <NUM> may include, whether the equipment includes of employs various tools or tooling, for example whether an electron beam gun can be used, any sputter target employed for deposition of coatings, use of evaporation boats by the equipment, use of an ion gun, use of shields, use of distribution masks, sector geometry employed by the equipment; and/or the like. Additionally, as noted, such optimization feasibility check may include machine maintenance status, or the like, such as condition of ion gun filaments, condition of specific components within the electron beam gun or the ion gun, cleanliness of shields, age of coating material to be used, condition of tooling, age of chemicals to be used, condition of chemicals to be used, age of dye bath, dye bath temperature, room conditions etc. As also noted, last run results that may be affected by machine capability and/or maintenance status may be considered in ophthalmic lens treatment plan determinations, for example optimization may take into account resulting optical thickness measurement(s), measured resulting lens axis orientation, resulting lens color, and/or the like. Such last run results that may be affected by machine capability and/or maintenance status may be considered in addition to, or in place of, the last run results discussed above. Hence, as noted, lens treatment plan <NUM> may, in accordance with various embodiments of the present systems and methods, be defined not only by equipment <NUM> available to apply the lens treatments, but also the performance and parameters <NUM> of such equipment.

Although, the present systems and methods provide greater customization of lens treatments than typical batch processing, various embodiments of the present systems and methods, may make use of batch processing when applicable. For example, optimizing selection of ophthalmic lens treatments for the given lens or pair of lenses may call for application of one or more ophthalmic lens treatments that may be carried out using batch processes. That is, when optimizing application of ophthalmic lens treatments for the given lens or pair of lenses can include inclusion of the given lens or pair of lenses in at least one batch processing for a ophthalmic lens treatment, modeling functionality <NUM> may in accordance with such various embodiments of the present systems and methods, select such batch processing for at least one particular lens treatment, where such batch processing will not compromise the optimization of the customer ordered ophthalmic lens treatments.

Embodiments of the present systems and methods for optimization of the selection and application of ophthalmic lens treatments, as described herein, may be implemented or executed, at least in part, by one or more computer systems. One such computer system is illustrated in <FIG>. In various embodiments, computer system <NUM> may be a server, a mainframe computer system, a workstation, a network computer, a desktop computer, a laptop, a tablet computing device, media player, or the like. For example, in some cases, computer <NUM> may implement one or more steps of example processes (<NUM>) described above with respect to <FIG>, and/or a computer system such as computer system <NUM> may be used as, or as part of, one or more of a special purpose ophthalmic lens treatment panning system, a centralized control systems for lens treatment equipment, and/or may be a computer system implementing embodiments of the present methods, and/or the like. In various embodiments two or more of these computer systems may be configured to communicate with each other in any suitable way, such as, for example, via a network.

As illustrated, example computer system <NUM> includes one or more processors <NUM> (i.e. 410A through 410N) coupled to a system memory <NUM> via an input/output (I/O) interface <NUM>. Example computer system <NUM> further includes a network interface <NUM> coupled to I/O interface <NUM>, and one or more input/output devices <NUM>, such as video device(s) <NUM> (e.g., a camera), audio device(s) <NUM> (e.g., a microphone and/or a speaker), and display(s) <NUM>. Computer system <NUM> may also include a cursor control device (e.g., a mouse or touchpad), a keyboard, etc. Multiple input/output devices <NUM> may be present in computer system <NUM> or may be distributed on various nodes of computer system <NUM>. In some embodiments, similar input/output devices may be separate from computer system <NUM> and may interact with one or more nodes of computer system <NUM> through a wired or wireless connection, such as over network interface <NUM>.

In various embodiments, computer system <NUM> may be a single-processor system including one processor <NUM>, or a multi-processor system including two or more processors <NUM> (e.g., two, four, eight, or another suitable number). Processors <NUM> may be any processor capable of executing program instructions. For example, in various embodiments, processors <NUM> may be general-purpose or embedded processors implementing any of a variety of instruction set architectures (ISAs), such as the x86, POWERPC®, ARM®, SPARC®, or MIPS® ISAs, or any other suitable ISA. In multi-processor systems, each of processors <NUM> may commonly, but not necessarily, implement the same ISA. Also, in some embodiments, at least one processor <NUM> may be a graphics processing unit (GPU) or other dedicated graphics-rendering device.

System memory <NUM> may be configured to store program instructions and/or data accessible by processor <NUM>. In various embodiments, system memory <NUM> may be implemented using any suitable memory technology, such as static random access memory (SRAM), synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM), nonvolatile/Flash-type memory, or any other type of memory. As illustrated, program instructions and data implementing certain operations, such as, for example, those described in connection with <FIG>, above, may be stored within system memory <NUM> as program instructions <NUM> and data storage <NUM>, respectively. In other embodiments, program instructions and/or data may be received, sent or stored upon different types of computer-accessible media or on similar media separate from system memory <NUM> or computer system <NUM>. Generally speaking, a computer-readable medium may include any tangible or non-transitory storage media or memory media such as magnetic or optical media-e.g., disk or CD/DVD-ROM coupled to computer system <NUM> via I/O interface <NUM>, Flash memory, random access memory (RAM), etc. Program instructions and data stored on a tangible computer-accessible medium in non-transitory form may further be transmitted by transmission media or signals such as electrical, electromagnetic, or digital signals, which may be conveyed via a communication medium such as a network and/or a wireless link, such as may be implemented via network interface <NUM>.

In some embodiments, I/O interface <NUM> may be configured to coordinate I/O traffic between processor <NUM>, system memory <NUM>, and any peripheral devices in the device, including network interface <NUM> or other peripheral interfaces, such as input/output devices <NUM>. In some embodiments, I/O interface <NUM> may perform any suitable protocol, timing or other data transformations to convert data signals from one component (e.g., system memory <NUM>) into a format usable by another component (e.g., processor <NUM>). In some embodiments, I/O interface <NUM> may include support for devices attached through various types of peripheral buses, such as a variant of the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus standard or the Universal Serial Bus (USB) standard, for example. In some embodiments, the function of I/O interface <NUM> may be split into two or more separate components, such as a north bridge and a south bridge, for example. In addition, in some embodiments, some or all of the functionality of I/O interface <NUM>, such as an interface to system memory <NUM>, may be incorporated into processor <NUM>.

Network interface <NUM> may be configured to allow data to be exchanged between computer system <NUM> and other devices attached to a network, such as other computer systems, or between nodes of computer system <NUM>. In various embodiments, network interface <NUM> may support communication via wired or wireless general data networks, such as any suitable type of Ethernet network, for example; via telecommunications/telephony networks such as analog voice networks or digital fiber communications networks; via storage area networks such as Fiber Channel SANs, or via any other suitable type of network and/or protocol.

As shown in <FIG>, memory <NUM> may include program instructions <NUM>, configured to implement certain embodiments described herein, and data storage <NUM>, comprising various data accessible by program instructions <NUM>. In an embodiment, program instructions <NUM> may include software elements corresponding to one or more of the various embodiments illustrated in the above figures. For example, program instructions <NUM> may be implemented in various embodiments using any desired programming language, scripting language, or combination of programming languages and/or scripting languages (e.g., C, C++, C#, JAVA®, JAVASCRIPT®, PERL®, etc.). Data storage <NUM> may include data that may be used in these embodiments. In other embodiments, other or different software elements and data may be included.

Claim 1:
A method comprising:
receiving, in an ophthalmic lens treatment planning system (<NUM>), lens and ophthalmic lens treatment information from a customer lens order (<NUM>), identification of available equipment (<NUM>) to apply one or more ophthalmic lens treatments from the customer order, and performance and parameters (<NUM>) of the available equipment;
formulating (<NUM>), by the ophthalmic lens treatment planning system, an optimal ophthalmic lens treatment plan (<NUM>) to be implemented by the available equipment;
applying (<NUM>) the one or more ophthalmic lens treatments from the customer order to the lens by the available equipment implementing the optimal ophthalmic lens treatment plan;
accepting measurements of a resulting lens (<NUM>), following application of the optimal ophthalmic lens treatment plan to the lens, to develop last run results (<NUM>); and
feeding back (<NUM>) the last run results to the ophthalmic lens treatment planning system to provide further performance and parameters (<NUM>) of the available equipment to the ophthalmic lens treatment planning system,
wherein formulating an optimal ophthalmic lens treatment plan includes considering and optimizing the optimal ophthalmic lens treatment plan for the available equipment and performance and parameters of the available equipment.