Patent ID: 8447573

Claim:
A method of using a computer to provide, to a lens manufacturing machine, information representing an optical system (OS), the optical system (OS) being identified by a function (OF) and including a first part (F 1 ) defined by a first equation (EF 1 ), EF 1 ( x,y,z ), which defines opto-geometric properties of part F 1 at a spatial location defined by coordinates x, y, and z, and a second part (F 2 ), defined by a second equation (EF 2 ), EF 2 ( x,y,z ), which defines opto-geometric properties of part F 2 , where the first part (F 1 ) and the second part (F 2 ) are a volume or surface of the optical system, (OS), the method comprising: a first providing step that provides the first equation (EF 1 ), EF 1 ( x,y,z ), said first equation (EF 1 ), EF 1 ( x,y,z ) defining opto-geometric properties of the first part (F 1 ) of the optical s stem (OS); a second providing step that provides the function (OF), said function identifying the optical system (OS), said second providing step comprising: a generating sub-step (GEN), in which a virtual optical system (VOS) calculated and generated by a computer is used to generate a virtual function (VOF) calculated and generated by a computer, then a modification sub-step (MOD), in which the virtual function (VOF) is modified to obtain the function (OF); and a calculation step (CAL), in which the second equation (EF 2 ) is calculated from the function (OF) and the first equation (EF 1 ), and wherein the function (OF) of the optical system (OS) is defined as a function h of the opto-geometric properties of the optical system (OS), where OF=h(EF 1 ( x,y,z ), EF 2 ( x,y,z )).