Patent ID: 7070107
Filing Date: 2006-07-04
Classification: B82Y,G02B,G06K,H01S

Abstract:
1. A planar light illumination and imaging system for illuminating an object and forming an image thereof, said planar light illumination and imaging system comprising: an image formation and detection module having a field of view (FOV) focused at an image detecting array; and a planar light illumination array (PLIA) constructed from a plurality of planar light illumination modules (PLIMs) arranged in rectilinear manner, wherein each said PLIM comprises a visible light emitting diode (LED), a focusing lens, and a cylindrical optical element arranged therewith to produce a planar light illumination beam component; and wherein said individual planar light illumination beam components produced from said plurality of PLIMs are combined to produce a composite substantially planar light illumination beam having substantially-planar spatial distribution characteristics that extend through the field of view (FOV) of said image formation and detection module, so that light reflected off an object illuminated by said composite substantially planar light illumination beam is focused along said field of view and onto said image detecting array to form an image of said illuminated object.