System and method enabling shopping from home for fitted eyeglass frames

A system enabling a customer to use a personal computer to shop for fitted eyeglass frames, the system comprising:

• A) a personal computer at a first location having means for determining size and image information about the customer's head and face using a digital camera for providing photographs of the customer and a means for scaling distances in the photographs to actual distances, for receipt of customer identifying information, and for providing the customer size and image information along with customer identifying information to a second location remote from the first location, wherein the image information includes a characterization of the customer's face as a basic shape selected from a predetermined group of basic shaves;
• and
• B) a remote electronic store at the second location having means for receipt of provided customer size and image information and customer identifying information and responsive to said information for providing the customer with fitted images showing how the customer would appear actually wearing different eyeglass frames fitted to the customer based on the customer size and image information, the fitted images provided through the personal computer operated by the customer from a convenient location;
• whereby the customer is able to view the fitted images provided by the remote electronic store to examine how the customer would appear wearing different eyeglass frames.

A system enabling a customer to electronically try on fitted eyeglass frames from a convenient location instead of having to shop in person, the system comprising:

• at least one customer diagnostic location for determining size and image information about the customer using a digital camera for providing photographs of the customer and a means for scaling distances in the photographs to actual distances, for providing the customer with a password as a means of identifying the customer, and for providing the customer's size and image information along with the password, wherein the image information includes a characterization of the customer's face as a basic shape selected from a predetermined group of basic shapes;
• and
• a remote electronic store responsive to the customer size and image information, for providing the customer with fitted images showing how the customer would appear wearing different eyeglass frames fitted to the customer based on the customer size and image information, the fitted images provided through a personal computer operated by the customer from a convenient location and connected to the remote electronic store using the password;
• whereby the customer is able to view the fitted images provided by the remote electronic store to examine how the customer would appear wearing different eyeglass frames.

A method for enabling a customer who has first provided size and image information about the customer's head and face, to then use a personal computer to shop for fitted eyeglass frames from a convenient location instead of having to shop in person, the customer connecting the personal computer to the system using a password for identifying the customer to the system, the method comprising the steps of:

• determining at a first location the size and image information and providing the customer's size and image information along with the password to a second location, wherein the image information includes a characterization of the customer's face as a basic shape selected from a predetermined group of basic shapes;
• and
• using at the second location the size and image information to determine fitted images showing how the customer would appear wearing different eyeglass frames fitted to the customer, and providing the fitted images to the customer through the personal computer operated by the customer;
• whereby the customer is able to view the fitted images provided by the remote electronic store to examine how the customer would appear wearing different eyeglass frames.