Patent ID: 7690575

Claim:
A reader for electro-optically reading indicia, comprising: an illuminator for illuminating the indicia during reading, the illuminator including an energizable first light source for emitting non-readily visible illumination infrared light having a wavelength in a range from about 700 nm to about 760 nm when energized, and an energizable second light source for emitting visible illumination blue light having a wavelength in a range from about 430 nm to about 505 nm when energized; a solid-state imager including an array of image sensors for capturing light scattered from the indicia illuminated by the illuminator over a field of view during reading, and for generating a signal corresponding the illuminated indicia; and a controller for energizing at least one of the light sources to emit the illumination light to the illuminated indicia for capture by the imager, and for processing the signal to read the illuminated indicia, wherein the controller is operative for continuously energizing the first light source in a default mode, and for energizing the second light source only for a time interval to increase a spatial resolution of the imager when a density determined by the controller equals or exceeds a reference density value.