Method of measuring at least one geometrico-physionomic parameter for positioning a frame of vision-correcting eyeglasses on the face of a wearer

• US 8,231,220 B2
• Filed: 07/04/2008
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Essilor International SA
• Original Assignee: Essilor International SA
• Inventors: Baranton, Konogan
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Khanh
• Application Number:
  US12/667,291
• Publication Number:
  US 20100177186A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,488 Days
• Field of Search: 351/204, 351/245, 351/246
• US Class Current: 351/204
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 13/003 Measuring during assembly or fitting of spectacles
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 13/005 Measuring geometric parameters required to locate ophtalmic lenses in spectacles frames apparatus for testing or instruments for examining the eyes per se A61B3/00; machines or devices and accessories for grinding the edges of lenses using spectacles as a template B24B9/144

Abstract

The method includes capturing at least one digital image of the wearer'"'"'s face with a portable image capture appliance (1) and processing the captured image to determine a geometrico-physionomic parameter. Before capturing the image, the operator positions the image capture appliance manually in a first configuration in which an observation line connecting the pupil (7) of the image capture appliance with a predetermined remarkable point associated with the wearer'"'"'s face or with the frame is substantially horizontal. Image capture is performed in a second configuration of the image capture appliance such that the altitude of the image capture appliance is identical to its altitude in the first configuration. The calculation of the geometrico-physionomic parameter includes identifying on the image, the image of the predetermined remarkable point.

Claims

1. A method of measuring at least one geometrico-physionomic parameter (H, TETA) concerning the positioning on the face of a wearer of a frame (10) for vision-correcting eyeglasses, the method comprising capturing at least one digital image of the wearer'"'"'s face wearing the frame (10) by using an image sensor such as an image capture appliance (1;

101;

102;

103;

104;

105;

200), and processing the captured image to determine the geometrico-physionomic parameter (H, TETA), the method being characterized in that the image capture appliance (1;

101;

102;

103;

104;

105;

200) is of the portable type held in the hand by an operator, and prior to capturing an image, the operator manually positions the image capture appliance (1;

101;

102;

103;

104;

105;

200) in a first configuration in which a line of observation (DO) connecting the pupil (7) of the image capture appliance (1;

101;

102;

103;

104;

105;

200) to a predetermined remarkable point (RC) directly or indirectly associated with the wearer'"'"'s face or with the frame is substantially horizontal, and in that the image is captured in a second configuration of the image capture appliance (1;

101;

102;

103;

104;

105;

200) identical to or distinct from the first configuration, such that the altitude of said image capture appliance (1;

101;

102;

103;

104;

105;

200) is identical to its altitude in the first configuration, and in that the calculation of the geometrico-physionomic parameter (H, TETA) includes identifying, in the image, the image of the predetermined remarkable point (RC).

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein, in order to position the image capture appliance (101;

102;

103;

104;

105) in the first configuration, the operator adjusts the altitude of the image capture appliance (101;

102;

103;

104;

105) by means of a visual assistance device including at least one illuminated object pendulumn-suspended either from the image capture appliance (101;

102;

103;

104;

105), or directly or indirectly from the wearer'"'"'s head (TP).

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the illuminated object is an active source (70A) of extent that is limited at least in the vertical direction, or a reflecting object pendulumn-suspended directly or indirectly from the wearer'"'"'s head (TP), the operator views an image to be captured in real time on viewing means (4) of the image capture appliance (103), and the operator adjusts the altitude of the image capture appliance (103) in such a manner that the image of said illuminated object is visible on the image to be captured.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein, the illuminated object is an active source or a light-diffusing object (90A) pendulumn-suspended directly or indirectly from the wearer'"'"'s head (TP), the operator views an image to be captured in real time on the viewing means (4), and the operator adjusts the altitude of the image capture appliance (105) in such a manner that the image of the illuminated object (90A) is visible in the image to be captured, and the image of said illuminated object viewed on the viewing means (4) presents geometrical characteristics of predefined shapes and/or dimensions and/or colors.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein the illuminated object (60A;

70A) is situated at a distance (H2;

H3;

H5) of less than 10 centimeters from the wearer'"'"'s eyes, or such that an orientation line connecting an optical center of said illuminated object and the pupil of the image capture appliance placed at the same altitude as the wearer'"'"'s eyes forms an angle lying in the range +5 degrees to −

5 degrees with its projection onto a horizontal plane.

6. A method according to claim 2, wherein the illuminated object is a reflecting object (80A) that is pendulumn-suspended from the image capture appliance (104) and that is situated in front of or close to the pupil (7) of the image capture appliance (104), and the operator adjusts the altitude of the image capture appliance (104) in such a manner that the wearer sees the reflection of his or her own eyes in said reflecting object (80A).

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the reflecting object is a half-silvered mirror (80A) placed in front of the pupil (7) of the image capture appliance (104), and the operator adjusts the altitude of the image capture appliance (104) in such a manner that the wearer sees the reflection of his or her own eyes in said half-silvered mirror (80A).

8. A method according to claim 2, wherein the illuminated object is an active light source (50A) that is pendulumn-suspended from the image capture appliance (101), and the operator adjusts the altitude of the image capture appliance (101) by adjusting the altitude of the projection onto the wearer'"'"'s face of the light beam emitted by the illuminated object relative to the remarkable point (RC) of the wearer'"'"'s face.

9. A method according to claim 2, wherein the illuminated object is an active light source (50A) that is pendulumn-suspended from the image capture appliance (101), the operator views in real time an image to be captured on the viewing means (4), and the operator adjusts the altitude of the image capture appliance (101) by adjusting the vertical position on the image to be captured of the image of the projection onto the wearer'"'"'s face of the light beam emitted by the illuminated object relative to the image of the remarkable point (RC) of the wearer'"'"'s face.

10. A method according to claim 2, wherein the visual assistance device includes an active light source (9) that is pendulumn-suspended from the image capture appliance (102) and a reflecting object (60A) pendulumn-suspended directly or indirectly from the wearer'"'"'s head (TP), the operator views in real time an image to be captured on the viewing means (4), and the operator adjusts the altitude of the image capture appliance (102) in such a manner that the reflection of said active light source (9) on said reflecting object is visible in the image to be captured.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the manual positioning of the image capture appliance (200) includes delivering information to the operator for compensating the tilt angle (ALPHA) formed between an optical axis (AO) of the image capture appliance (200) and its projection onto a horizontal plane (PF).

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the manual positioning of the image capture appliance (200) comprises the following substeps:

a1) measuring the tilt angle (ALPHA) by means of on-board tilt-measuring means (6) fitted to the image capture appliance (200);

a2) the operator adjusting said tilt angle; and

a3) the operator viewing in real time an image to be captured on the viewing means (4), the operator adjusting the altitude of the image capture appliance (200) to adjust the vertical position of a remarkable point of the image to be captured of the wearer'"'"'s face viewed by the operator on the viewing means (4) relative to a reference of the viewing means or relative to the image of the projection on the wearer'"'"'s face of an active light pointer (250) secured to the image capture appliance (200) to a given value, which given vertical position value is defined on calibration or dynamically as a function of the tilt angle (ALPHA) after adjustment.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein, for manual positioning of the image capture appliance (200), the operator adjusts the tilt angle (ALPHA) and said vertical position of the remarkable point of the image to be captured to have predetermined values.

14. A method according to claim 11, wherein, for manual positioning of the image capture appliance (200), information means (15) depending on the on-board tilt-measuring means (6) inform the operator about the angular position of the image capture appliance (200) relative to a predetermined value for the tilt angle (ALPHA).

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein said predetermined value for the tilt angle (ALPHA) is zero.

16. A method according to claim 12, wherein the altitude of the image capture appliance (200) is adjusted by putting crosshairs (41) placed on the viewing means (4) into the same vertical position as the remarkable point of the image to be captured of the wearer'"'"'s face viewed by the operator on the viewing means (4).

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein said crosshairs are dynamically inlaid by digital display means forming part of the viewing means (4), on the image to be captured at a vertical position that is adjusted in real time by digital processing as a function of the tilt angle (ALPHA) measured by the on-board inclination-measurement means (6).

18. A method according to claim 12, wherein the altitude of the image capture appliance (200) is adjusted by putting the image of the projection on the wearer'"'"'s face of an active pointer (250) secured to the image capture appliance (200) into the same vertical position as the remarkable point of the image to be captured of the wearer'"'"'s face viewed by the operator on the viewing means (4).

19. A method according to claim 1, wherein the wearer gazes at a sighting point (5;

9) that, together with one of the wearer'"'"'s eyes (OD), forms a line of sight (DV) that is substantially horizontal.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the sighting point (5;

9) is carried by the image capture appliance (101;

102;

103;

105;

200) and is vertically separated from the pupil (7) of the image capture appliance (101;

102;

103;

105;

200) by a height of less than 10 centimeters, or such that in the first configuration, the line of sight (DV) forms an angle less than or equal to 6 degrees with its projection onto a horizontal plane.

21. A method according to claim 4, wherein the illuminated object (90A) is situated at a distance (H2;

H3;

H5) of less than 10 centimeters from the wearer'"'"'s eyes, or such that an orientation line connecting an optical center of said illuminated object and the pupil of the image capture appliance placed at the same altitude as the wearer'"'"'s eyes forms an angle lying in the range +5 degrees to −

5 degrees with its projection onto a horizontal plane.