Hand-supportable digital image capturing and processing system, wherein only when all sensor elements in the image-sensing sensing array are activated and in state of integration, then narrow-band illumination is produced for illuminating objects in the field of view (FOV) of the system and simultaneously detected by a photodetector for measuring light exposure within the FOV, and also by an area-type image sensing array for detecting a digital image of said illuminated object
First Claim
1. A hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system comprising:
- a hand-supportable housing;
an image formation and detection subsystem, disposed in said hand-supportable housing, and having image formation optics for producing a field of view (FOV) upon an object to be imaged, and an area-type image sensing array for detecting imaged light reflected off the object during illumination operations in an image capture mode in which rows of sensor elements in said area-type image sensing array are enabled so as to detect a 2D digital image of the object formed on said area-type image sensing array;
a narrow-band illumination subsystem, disposed in said hand-supportable housing, and having an narrow-band illumination array for producing a field of narrow-band illumination within the FOV of said image formation and detection subsystem during the image capture mode, wherein said field of narrow-band illumination consisting essentially of a narrow band of wavelengths of visible illumination produced from said narrow-band illumination subsystem;
a narrow-band optical filter subsystem, disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for transmitting substantially only the narrow band of wavelengths of visible illumination produced from said narrow-band illumination subsystem, and rejecting all other optical wavelengths outside said narrow band however generated by ambient illumination sources;
an automatic light exposure measurement subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, employing a photo-detector operated independently from said area-type image sensing array, for automatically measuring the light exposure incident upon a selected portion of said FOV, and producing an electrical signal representative of said light exposure measurement;
an automatic illumination control subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for automatically controlling the operation of said narrow-band illumination subsystem, wherein said automatic illumination control subsystem responds to said electrical signal and controls the duration of narrow-band illumination produced from said narrow-band illumination subsystem during said image capture mode;
an image capturing and buffering subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for capturing and buffering 2D digital images detected by said image formation and detection subsystem;
an image-processing subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for processing 2D digital images captured and buffered by said image capturing and buffering subsystem and producing processed image data;
an input/output subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for outputting processed image data to an external host system or other information receiving or responding device; and
a system control subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for controlling and/or coordinating the operation of the subsystem components described above;
wherein only when said plurality of rows of sensor elements in said area-type image sensing array are activated and in a state of integration, then said automatic illumination control subsystem automatically drives said narrow-band illumination array so that narrow-band illumination is produced from said narrow-band illumination subsystem, transmitted through said narrow-band transmission-type filter subsystem, reflects off said object, and simultaneously detected;
(i) by said photo-detector for measuring light exposure within the selected portion of said FOV, and (ii) by said area-type image sensing array for producing a high quality digital image of the object, independent of the relative motion between said object and hand-supportable housing.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A portable digital image capturing and processing system comprising: an image formation and detection subsystem; a narrow-band illumination subsystem; a narrow-band transmission-type optical filter subsystem; an automatic light exposure measurement subsystem; and an automatic illumination control subsystem. The image formation and detection subsystem has an area-type image sensing array for detecting digital images of objects formed thereon by image formation optics providing a field of view (FOV) for the system. Within the FOV of the image formation and detection subsystem, the narrow-band illumination subsystem produces a field of narrow-band illumination consisting essentially of a narrow band of wavelengths of visible illumination. The narrow-band transmission-type optical filter subsystem transmits substantially only the narrow band of wavelengths of visible illumination produced from the narrow-band illumination subsystem, and rejects all other optical wavelengths outside the narrow band however generated by ambient illumination sources. The automatic light exposure measurement subsystem employs a photo-detector operated independently from the area-type image sensing array, for automatically measuring the light exposure incident upon a selected portion of the FOV, and producing an electrical signal representative of the light exposure measurement. Only when all sensor elements in the image-sensing sensing array are activated and in state of integration, then narrow-band illumination is produced for illuminating objects in FOV of the system and simultaneously detected by a photo-detector for measuring light exposure within the FOV, and also by an area-type image sensing array for detecting a digital image of said illuminated object.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A hand-supportable digital image capture and processing system comprising:
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a hand-supportable housing;
an image formation and detection subsystem, disposed in said hand-supportable housing, and having image formation optics for producing a field of view (FOV) upon an object to be imaged, and an area-type image sensing array for detecting imaged light reflected off the object during illumination operations in an image capture mode in which rows of sensor elements in said area-type image sensing array are enabled so as to detect a 2D digital image of the object formed on said area-type image sensing array;
a narrow-band illumination subsystem, disposed in said hand-supportable housing, and having an narrow-band illumination array for producing a field of narrow-band illumination within the FOV of said image formation and detection subsystem during the image capture mode, wherein said field of narrow-band illumination consisting essentially of a narrow band of wavelengths of visible illumination produced from said narrow-band illumination subsystem;
a narrow-band optical filter subsystem, disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for transmitting substantially only the narrow band of wavelengths of visible illumination produced from said narrow-band illumination subsystem, and rejecting all other optical wavelengths outside said narrow band however generated by ambient illumination sources;
an automatic light exposure measurement subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, employing a photo-detector operated independently from said area-type image sensing array, for automatically measuring the light exposure incident upon a selected portion of said FOV, and producing an electrical signal representative of said light exposure measurement;
an automatic illumination control subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for automatically controlling the operation of said narrow-band illumination subsystem, wherein said automatic illumination control subsystem responds to said electrical signal and controls the duration of narrow-band illumination produced from said narrow-band illumination subsystem during said image capture mode;
an image capturing and buffering subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for capturing and buffering 2D digital images detected by said image formation and detection subsystem;
an image-processing subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for processing 2D digital images captured and buffered by said image capturing and buffering subsystem and producing processed image data;
an input/output subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for outputting processed image data to an external host system or other information receiving or responding device; and
a system control subsystem disposed in said hand-supportable housing, for controlling and/or coordinating the operation of the subsystem components described above;
wherein only when said plurality of rows of sensor elements in said area-type image sensing array are activated and in a state of integration, then said automatic illumination control subsystem automatically drives said narrow-band illumination array so that narrow-band illumination is produced from said narrow-band illumination subsystem, transmitted through said narrow-band transmission-type filter subsystem, reflects off said object, and simultaneously detected;
(i) by said photo-detector for measuring light exposure within the selected portion of said FOV, and (ii) by said area-type image sensing array for producing a high quality digital image of the object, independent of the relative motion between said object and hand-supportable housing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification