Patent ID: 7835038

Claim:
An illumination source for a scanner, comprising: a plurality of terminals; and a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs), at least two LEDs having different wavelengths, each LED to be turned on and off via a signal provided to a terminal to which that LED is coupled; wherein the number of LEDs is greater than the number of terminals, wherein each LED is directly coupled to two of the terminals such that there are no intervening LEDs between each LED and the two of the terminals to which the LED is coupled, wherein the plurality of terminals comprises a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, and a fourth terminal, and wherein the plurality of LEDs comprises: a first LED and a second LED directly coupled to the second terminal and to the third terminal, such that there are no intervening LEDs between each of the first and the second LEDs and each of the second and the third terminals, and such that the first LED and the second LED are coupled between the second terminal and the third terminal in an opposing polarity manner; a third LED and a fourth LED directly coupled to the third terminal and to the fourth terminal, such that there are no intervening LEDs between each of the third and the fourth LEDs and each of the third and the fourth terminals, and such that the third LED and the fourth LED are coupled between the third terminal and the fourth terminal in an opposing polarity manner; a fifth LED and a sixth LED directly coupled to the first terminal and to the fourth terminal, such that there are no intervening LEDs between each of the fifth and the sixth LEDs and each of the first and the fourth terminals, and such that the fifth LED and the sixth LED are coupled between the first terminal and the fourth terminal in an opposing polarity manner.