Apparatus for determining the dominant eye

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9706909-B2
Application number	US-201414778241-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2014
Priority date	Mar 21, 2013
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

An apparatus for implementing a method for determining the dominant eye of a spectacle wearer ( 1 ), includes a target ( 2 ), an element ( 3, 4 ) for occulting at least one eye, and a sighting device ( 5, 50 ) equipped with an optical window ( 6 ). The principal feature of the apparatus is that the sighting device ( 5, 50 ) includes an electronic sensor making it possible to identify the direction of movement of the sighting device ( 5, 50 ), during the method during various steps of viewing the target ( 2 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for implementing a method for determining the dominant eye of a spectacle wearer ( 1 ), comprising a target ( 2 ), a means ( 3 , 4 ) for occulting at least one eye, and a sighting device ( 5 , 50 ) equipped with an optical window ( 6 ), wherein the sighting device ( 5 , 50 ) comprises an electronic sensor making it possible to identify a movement of said sighting device ( 5 , 50 ), during said method during various steps of viewing the target ( 2 ).

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the sighting device is a tablet ( 5 , 50 ), and the electronic sensor is integrated into said tablet ( 5 , 50 ).

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the target ( 2 ) has a central pattern ( 15 ) and secondary patterns ( 16 ) ordered so that viewing of the secondary patterns ( 16 ) alone makes it possible to deduce in which direction the central pattern ( 15 ) is located.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the tablet is an electronic tablet ( 5 ) equipped with a camera and an optical window ( 6 ).

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising a tablet ( 5 , 50 ) equipped with the electronic sensor and an operational kit able to be mounted on said tablet ( 5 , 50 ), and said kit includes at least one holding part ( 19 ), the optical window ( 6 , 20 ), the occulting means ( 3 , 4 ) and the target ( 2 ), the holding part ( 19 ) being intended to be mounted on the tablet ( 5 , 50 ) in order to serve as a point for fastening the optical window ( 6 , 20 ).

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the tablet is an electronic tablet ( 5 ) equipped with a camera and an optical window ( 6 ).

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising a tablet ( 5 , 50 ) equipped with the electronic sensor and an operational kit able to be mounted on said tablet ( 5 , 50 ), and said kit includes at least one holding part ( 19 ), the optical window ( 6 , 20 ), the occulting means ( 3 , 4 ) and the target ( 2 ), the holding part ( 19 ) being intended to be mounted on the tablet ( 5 , 50 ) in order to serve as a point for fastening the optical window ( 6 , 20 ).

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said electronic sensor makes it possible to identify the sign, amplitude, direction, duration and the accelerations of the movements of the sighting device ( 5 , 50 ).

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the occulting means ( 4 ) is electronic and is operated by means of a remote control ( 27 ).

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the tablet ( 5 , 50 ) is equipped with locating markers provided for viewing said tablet ( 5 , 50 ) in space.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the electronic sensor is an inclinometer and/or a 3D accelerometer.

12. A method for determining the dominant eye of a spectacle wearer by means of an apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the method comprises the following steps:
A first step in which the wearer ( 1 ) views, with both eyes open, the target ( 2 ) through the optical window ( 6 ) of the sighting device ( 5 , 50 ), which he holds in his hand and the position of which he adjusts;
A second step of viewing said target ( 2 ) with a single eye, selected with the occulting means ( 3 , 4 ), the wearer ( 1 ) moving the sighting device ( 5 , 50 ) if it proves to be necessary;
An optional third step of viewing said target ( 2 ) with the other eye, selected with the occulting means ( 3 , 4 ), the wearer ( 1 ) moving said sighting device ( 5 , 50 ) if it proves to be necessary; and
A fourth step of determining the dominant eye based on each movement of the sighting device ( 5 , 50 ) detected by the electronic sensor.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein, if in the second step the wearer ( 1 ) needed to move the sighting device ( 5 , 50 ) in order to view the target ( 2 ) in a second position, said method comprises a first intermediate step comprised between the second and third steps, said first intermediate step consisting in repositioning said sighting device ( 5 , 50 ) in the first position obtained in the first step, said repositioning constituting a movement that is detected by the electronic sensor.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the target ( 2 ) has a central pattern ( 15 ) and ordered secondary patterns ( 16 ) making it possible to deduce in which direction the central pattern ( 15 ) is located, and when the dominant eye is occulted in the second or third step the wearer ( 1 ) knows in which direction he must move the sighting device ( 5 , 50 ) in order to view the central pattern ( 15 ) with his non-dominant eye.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the second and third steps are each preceded by a step of actuating the occulting means ( 3 , 4 ), and said occulting means ( 4 ) is electronic and actuated remotely by means of a remote control ( 27 ).

16. The method as claimed in claim 13 , further comprising step of presenting results by means of display of a photo showing the open eyes of the spectacle wearer ( 1 ) and a visual indication in said photo of the dominant eye.

17. The method as claimed in claim 13 , further comprising a step of determining an ocular predominance indicator.

18. The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the second and third steps are each preceded by a step of actuating the occulting means ( 3 , 4 ), and said occulting means ( 4 ) is electronic and actuated remotely by means of a remote control ( 27 ).

19. The method as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising a step of presenting results by means of display of a photo showing the open eyes of the spectacle wearer ( 1 ) and a visual indication in said photo of the dominant eye.

20. The method as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising a step of determining an ocular predominance indicator.

Assignees

• Essilor Int

Inventors

• Haddadi Ahmed

Classifications

• A61B3/0075

  provided with adjusting devices, e.g. operated by control lever · CPC title

• A61B3/0058

  for multiple images · CPC title

• A61B3/02 Primary

  Subjective types, i.e. testing apparatus requiring the active assistance of the patient · CPC title

• A61B3/0025

  characterised by electronic signal processing, e.g. eye models · CPC title

• A61B3/113 Primary

  for determining or recording eye movement · CPC title