Method of manufacturing an optical system

A method of using a lens manufacturing machine to manufacture a lens at least in part on the basis of information representing an optical system (OS), the optical system (OS) being identified by a function (OF) and including a first part (F1) defined by a first equation (EF1), EF1(x,y,z), which defines opto-geometric properties of part F1 at a spatial location defined by coordinates x, y, and z, and a second part (F2), defined by a second equation (EF2), EF2(x,y,z), which defines opto-geometric properties of part F2, where the first part (F1) and the second part (F2) are a volume or surface of the optical system, (OS), the method comprising:

• a first receiving step, in which the lens manufacturing machine receives the first equation (EF1), EF1(x,y,z), said first equation (EF1), EF1(x,y,z) defining opto-geometric properties of the first part (F1) of the optical system (OS);
• a second receiving step, in which the lens manufacturing machine receives the function (OF), said function identifying the optical system (OS), said second receiving step comprising:
• a first receiving sub-step, in which the lens manufacturing machine receives output of a generating step (GEN), in which a virtual optical system (VOS) is used to generate a virtual function (VOF), the virtual function and the virtual optical system both being calculated and generated by a computer, then
• a second receiving sub-step, in which the lens manufacturing machine receives output of a modification step (MOD), in which the virtual function (VOF) is modified to obtain the function (OF);
• and
• a third receiving step, in which the lens manufacturing machine receives output from a calculation step (CAL), in which the second equation (EF2) is calculated from the function (OF) and the first equation (EF1), and
• wherein the function (OF) of the optical system (OS) is defined as a function h of the opto-geometric properties of the optical system (OS), where OF=h(EF1(x,y,z), EF2(x,y,z)), and
• wherein the outputs received in the first, second, and third receiving step are used to control the lens manufacturing machine during manufacture of a lens.