Patents by Inventor Helmut Altheimer

Helmut Altheimer has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20110299032
    Abstract: A method and system for producing a first spectacle lens for a specific situation of wear for correcting at least a first astigmatic refraction of a first eye of a wearer, which has a first cylinder reference axis ?0(1) in a reference direction of sight ?ez(1) of the first eye. According to the method and apparatus, a primary direction of sight ?e?(1,p) of the first eye for at least one primary evaluation point ib(1,p) of the first spectacle lens is determined and a corresponding primary direction of sight ?e?,k(2,p) of a second eye of the spectacle wearer that corresponds to the primary direction of sight ?e?(1,p) of the first eye in the specific situation of wear is also determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2009
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: RODENSTOCK GMBH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Becken, Andrea Welk, Anne Seidemann, Gregor Esser, Helmut Altheimer, Dietmar Uttenweiler
  • Publication number: 20110208493
    Abstract: A fast and efficient method for calculating or producing a spectacle lens design, as well as a method for manufacturing a spectacle lens according to the thus calculated spectacle lens design. Furthermore, a corresponding device is provided for manufacturing a spectacle lens, as well as corresponding computer program products and storage media.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2009
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Applicant: Rodenstock GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Altheimer, Wolfgang Becken, Robert Bichler, Gregor Esser, Martin Zimmermann, Jochen Brosig, Dietmar Uttenweiler
  • Patent number: 7930151
    Abstract: A method of calculating an individual progressive lens creates one or more basic designs for lenses based on theoretical specifications, and then creates starting designs from these basic designs. Individual progressive lenses are calculated from the starting designs corresponding to the individual data from wearing test subjects. Valid starting designs are then created for production. The individual lenses are calculated from the starting designs according to individual customer data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Rodenstock GmbH
    Inventors: Stephan Haser, Andrea Welk, Gregor Esser, Helmut Altheimer, Walter Haimerl
  • Publication number: 20110051082
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing a first spectacle lens of a pair of spectacle lenses to be used with a second spectacle lens for a specific situation of wear, in which optical parameters for the spectacle lens are calculated to minimize the value of a target function that corresponds to the pair of spectacle lenses. The target function is the sum of a first monocular function, with a weighting factor, that depends on the values of a first monocular optical property at a plurality of monocular evaluation points, a the binocular function, with a weighting factor, that depends on the values of a second monocular optical property at the plurality of pairs of binocular evaluation points, and a remainder term.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Applicant: RODENSTOCK GMBH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Becken, Gregor Esser, Helmut Altheimer, Dietmar Uttenweiler
  • Patent number: 7896493
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method comprising the following steps:—a bridge width (b), a glass length (I), and a frame glass angle (fF) are predefined as eyeglass frame data;—a base curve (BK) as well as a nasal and a temporal facet position (aFn, aFt) are predefined as eyeglass lens data;—a user's pupil distance (pL, pR) is predefined as user data;—a horizontal angle of tilt (fG) of the eyeglass lens (12) is determined at a reference point in the used position, the reference point being the point of intersection between the horizontal main beam facing the eye in the neutral viewing direction (NBR) of the user and the area (14) of the eyeglass lens which faces the object, and the horizontal angle of tilt (fG) being the angle enclosed by a horizontal tangent (26) of the area (14) of the eyeglass lens (12) which faces the object at the reference point (B) and a straight horizontal reference line (HR) located on a plane that extends perpendicular to the horizontal main beam in the neutral viewing direction (NBR)
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Rodenstock GmbH
    Inventors: Andrea Welk, Helmut Altheimer
  • Publication number: 20100309428
    Abstract: A method is provided for calculating an individual spectacle lens design for a progressive spectacle lens exhibiting an individual vertical position of the distance and/or the near reference points, which can be variably adjusted. A starting design exhibiting a predefined vertical position of the distance and/or the near reference points is determined; the individual spectacle lens design is calculated having the desired, individual vertical position of the distance and/or near reference points. The calculation of the individual spectacle lens design includes calculating the target value Starget(y) for the spatial distribution of at least one optical property of the individual spectacle lens by a mapping Starget(y)=S?targert(y?) and a transform represented by formula (I), the starting design having corresponding target value S?target(y?), where y? represents the vertical coordinate of the target value of the starting design and y represents the vertical coordinate of the transformed target value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2008
    Publication date: December 9, 2010
    Applicant: Rod Enstock GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Altheimer, Wolfgang Becken, Gregor Esser, Dietmar Uttenweiler
  • Publication number: 20100296052
    Abstract: According to the invention, a method for producing a spectacle lens or a pair of spectacle lenses is proposed which comprises a calculation and optimization step for at least one of the surfaces of the spectacle lens taking into account an anisometropia D of the eyes of a spectacles wearer, said calculation and optimization step involving a target function F being minimized: minF=?igPi((PR(i)?PL(i))?Psoll(i))2, where: PR(i) is a prismatic effect at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens; PL(i) is a prismatic reference effect at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens; Psoll(i) is a desired value of the difference ?P in prismatic effect and prismatic reference effect at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens; and gPi is a weighting of the prismatic effect at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens; and where the prismatic reference effect PL(i) is the prismatic effect at a visual point of a second spectacle lens corresponding to the i-th evaluation point, and the spectacle len
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2007
    Publication date: November 25, 2010
    Applicant: RODENSTOCK GMBH
    Inventors: Gregor Esser, Leonhard Schmid, Helmut Altheimer, Wolfgang Becken
  • Patent number: 7771047
    Abstract: A method of producing a progressive spectacle glass by defining an ordering value for the average use value in the far reference point of the progressive spectacle glass, calculating the progressive spectacle glass while taking into account a calculation value of the average use value in the far reference point, the calculation value having a negative desired refraction deviation between 0.03 dpt and 0.2 dpt with respect to the ordering value in the far reference point, and producing the calculated progressive spectacle glass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Rodenstock GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Altheimer, Gregor Esser, Andrea Welk, Leonhard Schmid, Martin Zimmermann, Kerstin Schmid, Norbet Awrath, Jochen Brosig, Winfried Nikolaus, Werner Müller, Ilka Schwarz
  • Publication number: 20100198515
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for calculation of the local magnification and/or the local distortion of a spectacle lens in at least one predetermined or predeterminable viewing direction, with the spectacle lens being designed to correct a refraction deficit of an eye, and having at least one object-side surface and one second eye-side surface, comprising the following steps: Calculation for the predetermined or predeterminable viewing direction of the profile of a main beam which originates from a predetermined or predeterminable infinitesimally small object and, after refraction by the spectacle lens, passes through the rotation point of the eye, through the entrance pupil of the eye or through the principal plane of the eye; determination of the main curvatures and directions of a local wavefront associated with the main beam on refraction by the spectacle lens; calculation of the local magnification and/or the local distortion of the spectacle lens from the determined main curvatures and directions o
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2006
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Inventors: Wolfgang Becken, Gregor Esser, Helmut Altheimer, Dietmar Uttenweiler
  • Publication number: 20100198817
    Abstract: The present invention relates in summary to a method for checking and/or determining user data of a spectacle lens user comprising the steps of:—providing (S1) subjective data of a spectacle lens user, wherein the subjective data comprise at least subjective refraction data;—providing (S2) objective refraction data of the spectacle lens user;—comparing (S3) at least one subset of the subjective refraction data with at least one subset of the objective refraction data and determining a comparison result;—matching (S3) at least the subset of the subjective refraction data to the objective refraction data on the basis of the comparison result under the assumption that the comparison result fulfills at least one predetermined comparison condition, otherwise maintaining at least the subset of the subjective refraction data and/or—providing a message containing the comparison result, and to a further method, a computer program product and two devices for checking and/or determining user data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2008
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: Rodenstock GmbH
    Inventors: Gregor Esser, Anne Seidemann, Wolfgang Becken, Edda Wehner, Helmut Altheimer, Werner Mueller, Dietmar Uttenweiler
  • Publication number: 20100191504
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for computer-assisted evaluation of the performance of progressive lenses, specifically while taking into account individual parameters of a given eyeglass wearer, the individual parameters including at least personal prescription data, in particular, additional spherical, astigmatic, and/or prismatic power, and/or personal wearer data for the eyeglass wearer, in particular, forward inclination, horizontal frame inclination, corneal vertex distance, and/or interpupillary distance. The method includes the following steps: determining the individual parameters; calculating a total performance factor P in each case for at least two quality classes of progressive lenses as a function of the individual parameters, the total performance factor P being correlated with the quality of the monocular visual acuity and/or binocular visual impression; — and outputting the calculated total performance factor P for the quality classes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2006
    Publication date: July 29, 2010
    Applicant: Rodenstock GmbH
    Inventors: Gregor Esser, Heejin Kim, Helmut Altheimer, Wolfgang Becken, Dietmar Uttenweiler
  • Publication number: 20100157242
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a progressive spectacle lens and to a corresponding apparatus, a computer program product, a storage medium and to the use of a progressive spectacle lens. The invention also relates to a method for producing a progressive spectacle lens for correcting defective vision of a spectacle wearer, comprising the following steps: the vertical and/or the horizontal spatial position of a distance reference point and/or a near reference point is specified or determined in accordance with individual data of the spectacle wearer; the spectacle lens is optimized or calculated such that the required dioptric effect of the spectacle lens is obtained in the individually determined distance reference point and/or the near reference point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2008
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Applicant: RODENSTOCK GmbH
    Inventors: Gregor Esser, Helmut Altheimer, Wolfgang Becken, Robert Bichler, Anne Seidemann, Martin Zimmerman, Werner Mueller, Jochen Brosig, Dietmar Uttenweiler
  • Publication number: 20100145489
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method, a computer program product and a system for designing or producing a spectacle lens for a spectacle wearer. Said method consists of the following steps: individual user data or application data of the spectacle wearer is obtained; the design concept for the spectacle lens having a plurality of evaluation points is determined; a main beam path through the plurality of evaluation points is determined; a local wavefront is specified for each of the main beams in the surroundings of the respective main beam; optical properties of the spectacle lens are determined on the evaluation points by determining an influence of the spectacle lens on the local wavefronts in the surroundings of the respective evaluation point; and the design concept is evaluated in accordance with the determined optical properties and the individual user data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2008
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Applicant: RODENSTOCK GMBH
    Inventors: Gregor Esser, Wolfgang Becken, Helmut Altheimer, Anne Seidemann, Dietmar Uttenweiler, Werner Mueller, Edda Wehner
  • Publication number: 20100141893
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method, a system and a computer program product, in particular for designing or producing a lens having a prismatic effect, and to a lens having a prismatic effect. Said method consists of the following steps: individual data of the spectacle wearer is obtained, said individual user data comprising prismatic prescription data; the prismatic lens is designed taking into account the individual user data; centration data for the prismatic lens is determined in accordance with the prismatic prescription data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2008
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Applicant: RODENSTOCK GMBH
    Inventors: Helmut Altheimer, Gregor Esser, Wolfgang Becken
  • Patent number: 7673990
    Abstract: An individual eyeglass lens in which the vertical distance from the near reference point to the far distance point amounts to max. 18 millimeters, the progressive length is max. 14 millimeters, the main progressive length is max. 10 millimeters and the increase in refractive index, starting from the effect of the eyeglass lens at the far reference point up to a point 2 millimeters below the centering point amounts to less than 10% of the addition. The progressive length corresponds essentially to the vertical distance between the far reference point and a point essentially on the main line at which, starting from the far reference point, the value of the effect of the eyeglass lens corresponding the first time essentially to the near value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Rodenstock GmbH
    Inventors: Gregor Esser, Helmut Altheimer, Norbert Awrath, Jochen Brosig, Walter Haimerl, Winfried Nikolaus, Kerstin Schmid, Edda Wehner, Andrea Welk, Martin Zimmermann
  • Patent number: 7600872
    Abstract: The invention relates to a spectacle lens device comprising at least one electrically adaptive area, wherein optical properties of the spectacle lens device can be controlled in an electric manner. The spectacle lens device is configured in such a manner that the optical properties of a predetermined or predeterminable control area can be controlled in an electrical manner which is essentially independent from the optical properties in a surrounding area. The invention also relates to the control area and to the surrounding area, respectively, about a partial area of the electrically adaptive area. The control area and the surrounding area do not a common area. The invention further relates to a pair of spectacles comprising a spectacle lens device, to the use of the inventive spectacle lens device and also to a method for operating an electrically adaptive area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Rodenstock GmbH
    Inventors: Gregor Esser, Helmut Altheimer, Edda Wehner, Werner Mueller, Jochen Brosig, Dietmar Uttenweiler
  • Patent number: 7540611
    Abstract: A method is described for designing and optimizing an individual spectacle lens. The invention is characterized in that a draft design is made by an ophthalmologist on a video workstation by means of a computer program; the design is communicated to a manufacturer or an optical computing office; and that the manufacturer optimizes an individual spectacle lens on the basis of these stipulations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: Rodenstock GmbH
    Inventors: Andrea Welk, Walter Haimerl, Gregor Esser, Peter Baumbach, Helmut Altheimer, Edda Wehner
  • Publication number: 20090103046
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method comprising the following steps:—a bridge width (b), a glass length (I), and a frame glass angle (fF) are predefined as eyeglass frame data;—a base curve (BK) as well as a nasal and a temporal facet position (aFn, aFt) are predefined as eyeglass lens data;—a user's pupil distance (pL, pR) is predefined as user data;—a horizontal angle of tilt (fG) of the eyeglass lens (12) is determined at a reference point in the used position, the reference point being the point of intersection between the horizontal main beam facing the eye in the neutral viewing direction (NBR) of the user and the area (14) of the eyeglass lens which faces the object, and the horizontal angle of tilt (fG) being the angle enclosed by a horizontal tangent (26) of the area (14) of the eyeglass lens (12) which faces the object at the reference point (B) and a straight horizontal reference line (HR) located on a plane that extends perpendicular to the horizontal main beam in the neutral viewing direction (NBR)
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2005
    Publication date: April 23, 2009
    Applicant: RODENSTOCK GMBH
    Inventors: Andrea Welk, Helmut Altheimer
  • Patent number: 7472992
    Abstract: A series of spectacle lenses, where the position of use of the spectacle lenses in front of the eyes of the respective spectacle wearers, nominal variables at the intersection points of first lines of sight are essentially identical to the respective eye-sided or object-sided surfaces of the spectacle lenses. Each first line of sight is a predetermined, eye-sided line of sight, that intersects a pupil center point and an optical eye rotation point of the respective eye. All of the first lines of sight exhibit a predetermined, identical eye-sided visual angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Assignee: Rodenstock GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Altheimer, Gregor Esser, Wolfgang Becken, Werner Mueller
  • Publication number: 20080231800
    Abstract: A spectacle lens with an object-sided front face and an eye-sided rear face, wherein at last the rear face comprises a viewing region that contributes to the optical effect of the spectacle lens and a carrier rim region that at least partially surrounds the viewing region and that does not significantly contribute to the optical effect of the spectacle lens. The rear face of the spectacle lens in the carrier rim zone is constructed substantially from a cosmetic viewpoint without consideration of the optical image-forming properties. A method for producing this spectacle lens is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2005
    Publication date: September 25, 2008
    Applicant: RODENSTOCK GMBH
    Inventors: Gregor Esser, Helmut Altheimer, Andrea Welk, Martin Zimmermann, Wolfgang Becken, Edda Wehner