Optics: eye examining – vision testing and correcting – Spectacles and eyeglasses – With auxiliary lenses movable in and out of the optical path
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-13
2001-07-03
Mai, Huy (Department: 2873)
Optics: eye examining, vision testing and correcting
Spectacles and eyeglasses
With auxiliary lenses movable in and out of the optical path
C351S041000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06254233
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a wide-angle view eyeglasses to enable persons sitting in an area requiring wide viewing angles, such as in a movie theater or in a sports arena, to see images at the peripheral edges more clearly and with less eye motion than without an optical system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Various attempts have been made to increase the viewing comfort of moviegoers. Among these patents include U.S. Pat. No. 2,380,837 of Gray which describes a modified interior design of a movie theater where the film is projected onto a high screen, so that the viewers view the movie in a reclining position.
In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 2,537,047 of Gatten discloses a wide-angle pair of glasses that increases a user's field of vision by providing a pair of wrap around lenses that are both in front of and at the side of the viewer's eyes. The lens curves around the viewer's face.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,155,626 of Grech describes a therapeutic viewing device with two pairs of lens with discontinuous surfaces. The lenses therein have curved surfaces interrupted by flat medial portions. The lenses only affect vision at the peripheral, non-medial portions. Grech '626 is primarily designed for persons with pathological tunnel vision, and it is not specifically for use by persons with normal vision in-seats close to the screen in movie theaters.
Grech '626 does not modify the normal mid viewing portions of the lenses for persons with pathological tunnel vision. Grech '626 only modifies and expands upon the peripheral vision portions, which are deficient in persons with pathological tunnel vision.
In contrast, for the general movie viewing public in close proximity (i.e. 30 feet or less) to a movie screen, producing discontinuous lenses which do not modify the mid viewing portion of the lenses is counterproductive in an overall method of uniformly minifying the wide screen view to a movie viewer with normal vision.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
An object of this invention is to provide a wide-angle view eyeglasses for wide-angle viewing.
Another object of this invention is to provide an optical means for conveying a wider-than-normal view into a user's field of vision, with minimal barrel distortion of the user's field of vision.
Another object of this invention is to provide a means for blocking a user's peripheral vision.
Another object of this invention is to provide better viewing images for the general movie-viewing public in close proximity to a movie screen.
Another object of this invention is to provide ergonomically designed multi-user wide-angle eyeglasses.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide wide-angle view eyeglasses, which are optionally adjustable for the viewer.
It is yet another object of the present invention to improve over the disadvantages of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In keeping with these objects and others which may become apparent, the present invention is a wide-angle pair of eyeglasses that increase a user's field of vision with minimal barrel distortion by providing a double set of lenses that are in front of the viewer's eyes, for use by persons with normal vision in seats close to the screen in movie theaters.
The present invention minifies the wide screen view to a movie viewer with wide-angle view eyeglasses, including a face-fitting optical frame for transverse deployment across the face of a user.
A pair of rearwardly projecting temple pieces has vertically disposed light-excluding surfaces respectively attached to the ends of the optical frame. These temple pieces comfortably grasp the ears of a user.
The optical frame includes an optical means that conveys a wider-than-normal view into a user's field of vision.
To achieve the wide-angle viewing, the optical means of the wide-angle view eyeglasses includes a lens system having at least two optically aligned and longitudinally spaced-apart lenses with continuous surfaces, for each of the user's eyes.
Preferably the lenses are made of glass or plastic, such as but not limited to, styrene or acrylic plastics.
An optical bridge includes an inner bridge disposed transversely across the face of a user, and the inner bridge includes a pair of transversely spaced-apart inner lens mounting receptacles that support a pair of inner lenses. This inner bridge has a mounting member projecting outwardly therefrom.
The inner bridge is connected to and spaced longitudinally apart from an outer bridge that is parallel to the inner bridge and is farther away from the face of the user. The outer bridge includes a pair of transversely spaced-apart outer lens mounting receptacles for receiving a pair of outer lenses.
These inner lenses and outer lenses are optically aligned with the eyes of a user.
The design of the lenses may vary, but one particular design calls for a slightly convex inner lens surface of the inner lens (such as, for example, with about a −854.81 mm radius), an outward convex surface (such as, for example, with about a 20.9728 mm radius) on the same lens, an outer lens with an aspheric inner contour and with an outward surface which is convex. The aspheric surface reduces barrel distortion. The other lens surfaces may be spherical.
In a preferred embodiment, the aspheric surfaces are derived from conic sections and are ellipsoidal, although in certain circumstances other aspheric surfaces, such as paraboloids and hyperboloids may be used.
Preferably the aspheric curvature as defined by its sag surface “z” is measured along the optical axis of rotation, extending through the center of the lenses, according to the following formula:
z
=
(
cv
)
(
y
2
)
1
+
1
-
(
cv
)
2
(
K
+
1
)
y
2
,
where curvature cv=1/R=1/7.823,
where y=distance of the surface measured perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens and,
where K=conic constant=−0.7509.
where R=radius of curvature.
While in this preferred embodiment, the inner surface of each outer lens is aspheric, another modification may include both inner and outer surfaces on the outer lenses being aspheric, while the inner and outer surfaces of the inner lenses are spherical. In other embodiments, one or more of the lens surfaces may be aspheric, or in another optional embodiment all of the lens surfaces may be spherical.
A simple first embodiment is a pair of non-adjustable custom designed wide-angle glasses for an individual. In this embodiment, the lenses are not movable.
A second embodiment is an adjustable pair of multi-user glasses with adjustments to accommodate interpupilary spacing or distance variations, pupil size variations, and mild focus deficiencies. In this embodiment, the pairs of lenses focused on each eye are movable in unison in positional register with each other, but are movable nonetheless, either transversally laterally for persons with widely spaced eyes, or, movable in unison in positional register back and forth to minor focusing adjustments. However, in a preferred embodiment the inner lenses are movable in unison. In any case, both lenses for each eye are aligned.
Therefore, the respective inner and outer lens pairs are aligned in unison for each respective eye. Consequently, one can only move the inner lenses laterally if the outer lenses are also moved a corresponding distance laterally in positional register with the inner lenses, to keep the light beam of the passing within the eyes of the user.
In addition, the temple pieces have optional wide front or side portions for blocking a user's peripheral vision, such as vertically disposed light-excluding surfaces of a completely opaque material having a vertically disposed light-excluding surface.
Moreover, with the aforesaid optical minification system, the viewer's angular field of view is wide, lying between about 85 and 90 degrees of arc.
REFERENCES:
patent: Re. 33311 (1990-08-01), Wilkins
patent: 2184018 (1939-12-01), Ort
patent: 2380837 (1945-07-01), Gray
patent: 2537047 (1951-01
Prestandrea Anthony
Ruben Paul
Mai Huy
Prestandrea Anthony
Walker Alfred M.
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