Custom eyeglass manufacturing method

• US 7,434,931 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2004
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Essilor International SA
• Original Assignee: Ophthonix Incorporated
• Inventors: Dreher, Andreas W., Warden, Laurence, Murphey, Tro
• Primary Examiner(s): Manuel; George
• Application Number:
  US10/756,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20040189935A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,736 Days
• Field of Search: 351/204, 351/227, 351/228, 351/246, 351/247, 351231-233
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/027 considering wearer's parameters

Abstract

Two or more images captured from digital cameras record an image of spectacle frames on a subject. The image is analyzed using automated image-processing techniques to identify the relation of specific points of interest on the frame to the location of each of the subject'"'"'s eyes allowing the optical center of the lens to be placed in the correct location in the frames.

Claims

1. A spectacle frame fitting system, the system comprising:

an imager configured to capture a front image and a side image of a subject field;

an image processor configured to receive and analyze the front image and the side image to determine a pupil position relative to a spectacle frame captured in the front and side images; and

an illuminator configured to illuminate the subject when the imager captures the front image and the side image,

wherein the illuminator comprises a plurality of light sources configured to generate a predetermined pattern on a cornea of a subject positioned within the subject field.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the image processor determines the pupil position based in part on the predetermined pattern.

3. A spectacle frame fitting system, the system comprising:

an imager configured to capture a front image and a side image of a subject field;

an image processor configured to receive and analyze the front image and the side image to determine a pupil position relative to a spectacle frame captured in the front and side images; and

an illuminator configured to illuminate the subject when the imager captures the front image and the side image;

wherein the illuminator comprises at least one colored light source to determinate said pupil position.

4. A spectacle frame fitting system, the system comprising:

an imager configured to capture a front image and a side image of a subject field;

a plurality of light sources configured to generate a predetermined pattern on a cornea within the subject field; and

an image processor configured to analyze the front image and the side image to determine a pupil position relative to a spectacle frame captured in the front and side images, based in part on the predetermined pattern.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the imager is configured to capture an additional front image during a period in which at least one of the plurality of light sources is not illuminated.

6. A method of fitting a corrective lens to a spectacle frame, the method comprising:

capturing a front image of a subject wearing the spectacle frame;

capturing a side image of the subject wearing the spectacle frame;

determining a position of a lens frame from the captured images;

determining the position of at least one pupil of the subject from the captured images; and

determining a pupillary center of the corrective lens based in part on the position of the lens frame and the position of the pupil,

wherein capturing the front image of the subject comprises;

illuminating the subject with a plurality of lights to generate a pattern on at least one cornea of the subject; and

capturing the front image during the period in which the plurality of lights is illuminated.

7. A method of fitting a corrective lens to a spectacle frame, the method comprising:

capturing a front image of a subject wearing the spectacle frame;

capturing a side image of the subject wearing the spectacle frame;

determining a position of a lens frame from the captured images;

determining the position of at least one pupil of the subject from the captured images; and

determining a pupillary center of the corrective lens based in part on the position of the lens frame and the position of the pupil,

wherein determining the position of at least one pupil comprises;

identifying at least one bright pixel on an image of a cornea of the subject;

identifying at least one dark pixel on the image of the cornea; and

identifying the pupil based in part on the relationship of the at least one dark pixel relative to the at least one light pixel.

8. A method of fitting a corrective lens to a spectacle frame, the method comprising:

capturing a front image of a subject wearing the spectacle frame;

capturing a side image of the subject wearing the spectacle frame;

determining a position of a lens frame from the captured images;

determining the position of at least one pupil of the subject from the captured images; and

determining a pupillary center of the corrective lens based in part on the position of the lens frame and the position of the pupil,

wherein determining the position of at least one pupil comprises;

comparing the captured front image to a predetermined bright threshold to identify bright pixels;

performing connectivity analysis on the bright pixels to generate bright blobs;

filtering the bright blobs based in part on a size of the bright blob;

comparing the captured front image to a predetermined dark threshold;

performing connectivity analysis on the dark pixels to generate at least one dark blob;

filtering the at least one dark blob based on a size of the blob;

determining the position of the pupil based in part on a position of the filtered dark blobs and a position of the bright blobs.

9. A spectacle frame fitting system, the system comprising:

an imager configured to capture a front image and a side image of a subject field;

a plurality of colored light sources configured to illuminate at least a portion of the subject field; and

an image processor configured to analyze the front image and the side image to determine a pupil position relative to a spectacle frame captured in the front and side images, based in part on the predetermined pattern.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein at least one of the colored light sources is configured to generate a fiducial mark within the subject filed and the image processor analyzes the front image in part based on the fiducial mark.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a first dichroic beam splitter configured to reflect the side image of the subject field to the imager; and

a second dichroic beam splitter configured to reflect the front image of the subject filed to the imager.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first dichroic beam splitter passes a wavelength of light that is different than the wavelength of light passed by the second dichroic beam splitter.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of colored light sources comprises a first colored light source and a second colored light source, the first dichroic beam splitter configured to reflect wavelengths corresponding to the first colored light source and the second dichroic beam splitter configured to reflect wavelengths corresponding to the second colored light source.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the camera captures successive images and each image corresponds to illumination with one of the plurality of colored light sources.