Patent ID: 6275602
Filing Date: 2001-08-14
Classification: G02B,G06K

Abstract:
A method for illuminating documents in a document-processing system wherein a large number of documents are rapidly, continuously, singly transported past one or more imaging stations, each station having a prescribed image-site, and being illuminated by prescribed source means which projects one or more illumination-beams, on to each station; said method for each said beam comprising:providing focus means for each said beam;providing a fibre-optic array intercepting each said beam path, to thereby define an input-beam thereto at or near the approximate focal point of said focus means, while arranging said array to exhibit an entry portion of prescribed diameter and an exit portion configured to illuminate the respective image-site relatively uniformly thus defining an output-beam, the fibers of the array being arranged and distributed, in uniform, random fashion completely across this exit portion; and,with said focus means, de-focusing said input beam to change beam-diameter, at said entry portion, sufficient to spread the beam sufficiently beyond the entry portion to thus controllably reduce the amount of the beam entering said entry-portion.