Patent ID: 6971578
Filing Date: 2005-12-06
Classification: B82Y,G02B,G06K,G07G,H01L,H01S

Abstract:
1. A planar laser illumination and imaging module (PLIIM) realized on a semiconductor chip for integration into a system having a working range, said PLIIM comprising: a pair of micro-sized diffractive or refractive cylindrical lens arrays mounted upon a pair of linear arrays of surface emitting lasers (SELs) for producing a plurality of substantially planar laser beam components, said pair of linear arrays being fabricated on opposite sides of a linear electronic image detection array provided with optics having a field of view (FOV), wherein said plurality of substantially planar laser beam components produce a composite substantially planar laser illumination beam that has substantially planar spatial distribution characteristics that extend through said field of view so that laser light reflected off an object illuminated by said composite substantially planar laser illumination beam is focused along said field of view and onto said linear electronic image detection array to form an image of said illuminated object; and wherein said composite substantially planar laser illumination beam has substantially uniform power density characteristics over the spatial extent of said composite substantially planar laser illumination beam and thus over the working range of said system into which said PLIIM is integrated.