IP Library Granted Patent US 8,157,376
Granted Patent B2
US 8,157,376 · App. 12/573,835 · Granted Apr 17, 2012

Multifocal ophthalmic eyeglass

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,157,376
App. No.
12/573,835
Granted
Apr 17, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

A multifocal ophthalmic eyeglass ( 1 ) corrects a wearer's vision for a first vision distance in a principal vision zone ( 10 ) of the eyeglass, and for at least two different second vision distances in a secondary vision zone ( 20 ) of said eyeglass. For this purpose, the secondary vision zone is divided into at least two series of alternating regions, each producing an ophthalmic correction suitable for one of the second vision distances. A presbyopic wearer provided with such an eyeglass can both read a book and view an obstacle on the ground equally well, for the same direction of his gaze through the secondary vision zone.

Claims (28)

1. A method for producing a multifocal ophthalmic eyeglass intended for a presbyopic wearer, comprising the steps of:

/1/ obtaining a first ophthalmic correction of the wearer for a first vision distance, and at least two second ophthalmic corrections of said wearer respectively for at least two second vision distances, said two second corrections being different from each other;

/2/ determining a principal vision zone and a secondary vision zone of the eyeglass;

/3/ dividing the secondary vision zone into at least two series of regions, said regions being contiguous and alternating with respect to said series with a pitch of less than or equal to 1 mm, wherein each one of the series of regions comprises at least two regions separated from each other by at least one region of the other series of regions;

/4/ determining the first parameters of the eyeglass in the principal vision zone, corresponding to the first ophthalmic correction, and, for each series of regions, determining second parameters of said eyeglass in the regions of said series as a function of one of the second ophthalmic corrections obtained in step /1/ and assigned to said series of regions; and

/5/ producing the eyeglass according to said first and second parameters.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the principal vision zone and the regions of each series are determined by variations of at least one parameter of one and same surface of the eyeglass.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a size and/or a position of the principal vision zone in the eyeglass is determined in step /2/ as a function of an activity of the wearer using the first vision distance.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein step /2/ comprises the following sub-steps:

/2-1/ characterizing an amplitude of a head movement of the wearer, performed when said wearer successively views objects located in different directions; and

/2-2/ determining a size of the principal vision zone of the eyeglass such that said size of the principal vision zone decreases as a function of the amplitude of the head movement characterized for the wearer.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the principal vision zone of the eyeglass, in which the parameters of said eyeglass correspond to the first ophthalmic correction, contains a disk with a radius of 1 mm.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a proportion, in the secondary vision zone of the eyeglass, of the regions of at least one series selected from the series of regions used in step /3/, is determined as a function of an activity of the wearer using the second vision distance assigned to the selected series.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a proportion, in the secondary vision zone of the eyeglass, of the regions of at least one series selected from the series of regions used in step /3/, is determined as a function of an amplitude of a head movement performed by the wearer when said wearer successively views objects located in different directions, so that a quotient of a sum of surfaces of regions of the selected series divided by a surface of a corresponding part of the secondary vision zone increases as a function of the amplitude of the head movement performed by the wearer.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the regions of each series are strips arranged in an angular sector around at least a part of the principal vision zone of the eyeglass, and alternating along radial directions from said part of the principal vision zone towards a peripheral edge of the eyeglass.

9. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the regions of each series are strips arranged in an angular sector around at least a part of the principal vision zone of the eyeglass, and alternating along radial directions from said part of the principal vision zone towards a peripheral edge of the eyeglass, wherein the strips of the regions of each selected series have respective fixed widths along radial directions in the secondary vision zone of the eyeglass, and wherein the proportion of the regions of said selected series in said secondary vision zone is determined by selecting at least one value for the alternating pitch of the strips of regions with respect to the series.

10. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the regions of each series are strips arranged in an angular sector around at least a part of the principal vision zone of the eyeglass, and alternating along radial directions from said part of the principal vision zone towards a peripheral edge of the eyeglass, wherein the strips of the regions are alternating with respect to the series with a fixed pitch value along the radial directions in the secondary vision zone of the eyeglass, and wherein the proportion of the regions of said selected series in said secondary vision zone is determined by selecting at least one value for a period ratio of the strips of regions of the selected series.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the regions of one of the series each have at least one dimension comprised between 15 μm and 1000 μm.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the secondary vision zone is divided into two series of regions, and wherein the first vision distance and one of the second vision distances are equal, with one of the second vision distances greater than 2 m, and the other second vision distance comprised between 0.3 m and 0.5 m, or between 0.5 m and 2 m.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the secondary vision zone is divided into three series of regions, and wherein the first vision distance and one of the second vision distances are equal, with one of the second vision distances comprised between 0.3 m and 0.5 m, another one of the second vision distances comprised between 0.5 m and 2 m, and a last one of the second vision distances greater than 2 m.

14. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the amplitude of the head movement performed by the wearer is characterized by performing the steps of:

measuring an angle of a rotation of the head of the wearer, when said wearer successively views two objects located in angularly separated directions; and

determining a value of a gain from a quotient between the angle measured for the rotation of the head of the wearer on the one hand, and an angular distance between the two directions of view on the other hand, said gain varying as an increasing function or as a decreasing function of said quotient.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein step /5/ comprises the following sub-steps:

/5-1/ selecting a semi-finished eyeglass, of which one of a front face and a rear face of said semi-finished eyeglass determines a principal vision zone and a secondary vision zone, said secondary vision zone being divided into at least two series of regions contiguous and alternating with respect to said series with a pitch of less than or equal to 1 mm, said semi-finished eyeglass setting differences between ophthalmic corrections produced respectively in the principal vision zone and in each series of regions for a finished eyeglass produced from said semi-finished eyeglass; and

/5-2/ machining the other one of the front face and the rear face of the semi-finished lens, so that the eyeglass produces the first ophthalmic correction in the principal vision zone.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein a size and/or a position of the principal vision zone in the eyeglass is determined in step /2/ as a function of an activity of the wearer using the first vision distance, wherein the semi-finished eyeglass is selected at sub-step /5-1/ according to the size of the principal vision zone determined for the wearer, and/or the proportion determined for said wearer, of the regions of the selected series in the secondary vision zone.

17. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the regions of one of the series each have at least one dimension comprised between 25 μm and 50 μm.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 6, 2018
From: ESSILOR INTERNATIONAL (COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE D'OPTIQUE)
To: ESSILOR INTERNATIONAL
Reel/Frame 045853/0275 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 9, 2009
From: DROBE, BJORN
To: ESSILOR INTERNATIONAL (COMPAGNIE GENERALE D'OPTIQUE)
Reel/Frame 023629/0997 →