System for facilitating selection of color changing eyewear lenses and windows

1. A method of facilitating a consumer's selection of two-colored customized color-changing photochromic or thermochromic lenses for eyewear, said lenses having a first initial color at room temperature or at indoor lighting conditions;

and said lenses having a second activated color upon exposure to heat or sunlight; wherein a consumer may select said first color and said second color from a wide range of colors, each of said first and said second colors being selected independently from one another;

said method comprising:

capturing a digital color image of at least the face of the consumer, including the eyes of the consumer,

displaying said color image to the consumer on a video display while superimposing over the eyes in said image a pair of lenses, wherein said displaying is comprised of the following steps:

a) allowing a consumer to select a first initial color for said colored lenses, said color to be present on said lenses at room temperature or at indoor lighting conditions;

b) allowing a consumer to select a second activated color to be present on said lenses upon exposure to heat or sunlight;

wherein said consumer may select said first color and said second color from a wide range of colors, and each of said first and said second colors may be selected by said consumer independently from one another;

and said selection is performed by said consumer selecting a color displayed on an electronic display, wherein said colors on said electronic display correspond to various mixtures and quantities of a plurality of fixed dyes, photothermic dyes and photochromic-dyes;

c) simulating on said display said selected first initial color of said superimposed lenses;

d) simulating on said display said selected second activated color of said superimposed lenses;

wherein said display permits simulation of the colors produced by mixing various amounts of one or more fixed-color-dyes with any selected photochromic dye or photothermic dye;

outputting said consumer selection.

2. The method of claim 1 which includes communicating to a production facility the customer's selection of said first initial color and said second activated color for the lenses in eyewear purchased by the customer, enabling customized manufacturing.

3. The method of claim 1 which includes translating the customer's selection of said first initial and said second activated color to a specification of one or more materials to be used in the lenses in eyewear purchased by the customer.

4. A system for facilitating a consumer's selection of customized two-colored color-changing or shade changing photochromic or thermochromic lenses for eyewear, said lenses having a first initial color at room temperature or at indoor lighting conditions, and said lenses having a second activated color upon exposure to heat or sunlight; said system comprising:

a digital camera for capturing a digital color image of at least the face of the consumer, including the eyes of the consumer,

a video display,

computer associated peripherals;

a processor interacting with said peripherals, and interacting with said video display, said processor including a memory device, a driver; said processor being in communication with said memory device, and being configured to:

capture a digital color image of at least the face of said consumer, including the eyes of said consumer,

display said color image to the consumer on a video display while superimposing over the eyes in said image a pair of lenses, wherein said displaying is comprised of the following steps:

allowing said consumer to select a first initial color for said colored lenses, said color to be present on said lenses at room temperature or at indoor lighting conditions;

allowing said consumer to select a second activated color to be present on said lenses upon exposure to heat or sunlight;

wherein said consumer may select said first color and said second color from a wide range of colors, and each of said first and said second colors may be selected by said consumer independently from one another;

and said selection is performed by said consumer selecting a color on an electronic display, wherein said colors on said electronic display correspond to various mixtures and quantities of a plurality of fixed dyes, photothermic dyes and photochromic-dyes;

and said processor is further configured to output said consumer selection.

5. The system of claim 4 which includes a production facility that receives the customer's identification of said first and second selected colors for the lenses in eyewear purchased by the customer.

6. The system of claim 4 comprising an automatic translator for converting the customer's selection of said first and second colors to a specification of one or more materials to be used in the lenses in eyewear purchased by the customer.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said outputting comprises communicating to a production facility the customer's identification of said first and second colors for the lenses in eyewear purchased by the customer, enabling customized manufacturing.

8. The system of claim 4 in which said first and second colors or shades correspond to the colors or shades produced by a lens containing at least one of a preselected thermochromic material, a preselected photochromic material and a fixed dye material.

9. The system of claim 4 which includes a production facility that receives the customer's selection of the first and second colors or shades for the lenses in eyewear purchased by the customer.

10. The method of claim 1 which includes fabricating a pair of lenses having said selected first and second colors.