System and method for accurately displaying superimposed images

• US 6,847,383 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2002
• Issued: 01/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Luxottica Retail North America Incorporated (EssilorLuxottica SA)
• Original Assignee: Newag Digital, LLC
• Inventors: Agnew, Mark S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tung, Kee M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sajous, Wesner
• Application Number:
  US10/289,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20030063105A1
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 345629-632, 345633-634, 345/642, 345/646, 345/619, 345/660, 345/650, 345/652, 345/655, 345/661, 345/663, 345/666, 345/671, 345620-624, 345/676, 345/472, 345/472.1, 345/472.2, 345/473, 345/716, 345/723, 345/722, 345/764, 345/765, 345/798, 345/800, 345/801, 345/815, 345/643, 351/204, 351/205, 351/227, 351/177, 351/178
• US Class Current: 345/660
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text

Abstract

The present invention discloses a system-and method for accurately displaying superimposed images on a display screen of a computer. The method includes storing a base image having a first feature and a second feature in a storage device of a computer. Data is received which is indicative of a full-scale dimension between the first feature and the second feature. The base image is scaled to have a predefined dimension between the first feature and the second feature when displayed. An accessory image is scaled based upon at least a ratio between the predefined dimension and the full-scale dimension. The scaled accessory image is superimposed onto the scaled base image and displayed to a system user.

Claims

1. A method for determining interpupillary distance comprising:

receiving data indicative of a face image in a computer, said face image having a first pupil and a second pupil;

receiving data indicative of the full-scale dimension between the first pupil and the second pupil, wherein said data is indicative of a measurement icon having a known dimension and a reference surface of known length;

determining a length for a line from the first pupil to the second pupil; and

multiplying the known dimension of the measurement icon by a ratio of the length of the measurement icon'"'"'s reference surface with respect to the length of the line connecting the left and right pupils, thereby determining interpupillary distance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a weighing factor is applied to at least one of the ratio of the length of the measurement icon'"'"'s reference surface or the length of the line connecting the left end right pupils.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the interpupillary distance is used to scale the face image.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the scaled face image is displayed.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein an accessory image is superimposed upon the scaled face image.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the superimposed image is displayed.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the accessory image is an eyewear frame.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the image is stored in a storage device of a computer.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the image is stored in a storage device of a computer.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the image is stored in a storage device of a computer.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the image is stored in a storage device of a computer.

12. The method of claim 5, wherein the accessory image is repositioned on the scaled face image.

13. A computer system for determining interpupillary distance in a face image comprising:

a memory device for storing a program;

a processor in communication with said memory;

said processor being operative with said program to receive data indicative of a face image having a first pupil and a second pupil;

said processor being operative with said program to receive data indicative of a full scale dimension between the first pupil and the second pupil, wherein said data is indicative of a measurement icon having a known dimension and a reference surface of known length;

determining a length for a line from the first pupil to the second pupil; and

multiplying the known dimension of the measurement icon by a ratio of the length of the measurement icon'"'"'s reference surface with respect to the length of the line connecting the left and right pupils, thereby determining interpupillary distance.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein a weighting factor is applied to at least one of the ratio of the length of the measurement icon'"'"'s reference surface or the length of the line connecting the left and right pupils.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the interpupillary distance is used to scale the face image.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the scaled face image is displayed.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein an accessory image is superimposed upon the scale face image.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the superimposed image is displayed.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the accessory image is an eyewear frame.

20. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer readable medium comprising instructions for;

receiving data indicative of a face image having a first pupil and a second pupil;

receiving data indicative of a full-scale dimension between the first pupil and the second pupil, wherein said data is indicative of a measurement icon having a known dimension and a reference surface of known length;

determining a length for a line from the first pupil to the second pupil; and

multiplying the known dimension of the measurement icon by a ratio or the length of the measurement icon'"'"'s reference surface with respect to the length of the line connecting the left and right pupils.

21. A method for accurately displaying superimposed images, comprising:

downloading a base image having a first feature and a second feature into a computer;

receiving data indicative of a full-scale dimension between the first feature and the second feature;

scaling the base image to have a predefined dimension between the first feature and the second feature when displayed;

scaling on accessory image based upon at least a ratio between the predefined dimension and the full-scale dimension;

superimposing the scaled accessory image onto the scaled base image;

locating the first feature and the second feature utilizing an image analysis program;

locating a third feature of the base image utilizing the image analysis program;

automatically aligning the scaled accessory image with the third feature in the base image;

determining a first offset dimension between the first feature and the third feature and a second offset dimension between the second feature and the third feature; and

shifting the accessory image toward the lesser of the first offset dimension and second offset dimension by approximately one-half the difference between the first offset dimension and the second offset dimension; and

scaling the accessory image based upon a ratio between about 0.3 and 0.45.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the base image is an image of a face.

23. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the data indicative of the full-scale dimension comprises an image of the face and a measurement icon.

24. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the data indicative of the full-scale dimension is selected from at least one of an interpupillary distance, a left monocular pupillary distance, and a right monocular pupillary distance.

25. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the data indicative of the full-scale dimension includes an image of the face and a measurement icon.

26. A method for accurately displaying superimposed images, comprising:

downloading an image into a storage device of a computer;

extracting a base image from the downloaded;

scaling the base image to have a predefined dimension between a first feature and a second feature when displayed, wherein the first feature and the second feature are located utilizing an image analysis program;

receiving data indicative of a full-scale dimension between the first feature and the second feature;

generating a modified image, which comprises the base image and an accessory image, by scaling the accessory image based upon at least a ratio between the predefined dimension and the full-scale dimension;

transmitting the base image and the modified base image to a user for evaluation;

or

transmitting the downloaded image in image-map form to the user;

receiving input from the user identifying region in the downloaded image requiring further analysis; and

analyzing the region to determine the presence of the base image.

27. The method as recited in claim 26, wherein analyzing the region to determine the presence of the base image comprises utilizing an image analysis program to locate a first feature and a second feature of the base image.