Patent ID: 7886972

Claim:
A digital color image capture and processing module comprising: a housing having a light transmission aperture with an optically transparent imaging window mounted over said light transmission aperture; at least one digital camera board mounted within said housing, and supporting an area-type color image sensing array, sensing array control electronics, and image capture and buffering electronics; an imaging lens assembly supported within said housing and having image forming optics with a field of view (FOV) on said area-type color image sensing array; a plurality of broad-band LEDs supported within said housing for producing a field of broad-band illumination; a light focusing reflector operably mounted for focusing said field of broad-band illumination into and over the FOV of said area-type color image sensing array; LED driver circuitry disposed in said housing for driving said plurality of broad-band LEDs in response to control signals; a digital image-processing subsystem for processing digital color images produced by said at least one digital camera board; a system control subsystem for controlling and/or orchestrating the operation of components within said digital color image capture and processing module; and a plurality of mode selection buttons integrated with said housing so that, upon depression, control signals are generated and transmitted to said system control subsystem.