Patent ID: 7339614

Claim:
A method of acquiring a large area image of a large area object, comprising: acquiring a plurality of small area electronic images of divers portions of the large area object by: (i) positioning at least three focusing systems with the same focal length in fixed, immovable relation to a two-dimensional array of photosensitive elements in the focal plane of the at least three focusing systems, with the focusing systems being coplanar but not aligned with each other in a straight line, wherein an optic axis of each of the three focusing systems is parallel to the respective optic axes of the other focusing systems; (ii) sequentially focusing at least three overlapping divers portions of the large area object onto the array of photosensitive elements through respective ones of the at least three focusing systems to sequentially expose the array of photosensitive elements to the at least three overlapping divers portions of the large area object; and (iii) reading electronic signals indicative of spatial and radiometric distribution of light from the overlapping divers portions of the large area object out of the photosensitive elements; forming a mosaic of the small area electronic images by merging the small area electronic images together in such a manner that overlapping areas of adjacent small area electronic images register with each other; and converting the mosaic of small area images to the large area image of the large area object.