Patent ID: 7859563
Filing Date: 2010-12-28
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An image acquisition system for use in viewing a moving item in a path in a mailing machine, said imaging system comprising: an imaging device, having a field of view covering at least a portion of the path, for acquiring an image of the moving item, the image including a discernible feature of the moving item; an illuminating source, positioned relative to the field-of-view of the imaging device, for providing a flash of light for illuminating at least a part of the moving item entering the field-of-view of the imaging device; a detection mechanism, positioned relative to the path, for providing an arrival signal indicating that the moving item entering the field-of-view has reached a predetermined point in the path; an electronic circuit, in response to the arrival signal, for providing a triggering signal based on a synchronization pulse from the imaging device to cause the illuminating source to provide the flash of light for illuminating said moving item while the image is acquired, wherein the flash of light has a flash duration sufficiently short as compared to the motion of the moving item so as to produce said discernible feature of the moving mail-related item in said image; and wherein the imaging device comprises a video camera providing two vertical synchronization pulses for each image frame, and the synchronization pulse is selected from one of said two vertical synchronization pulses.