Patent ID: 6950546

Claim:
A system for imaging an elongated bar extending along a longitudinal axis, said system comprising: an image acquisition assembly having a field of view configured to image a first predetermined width over a circumference of a surface of said bar to define an image belt and produce image data corresponding thereto; a light line assembly configured to project a light line belt having a second predetermined width onto the surface of said bar, said light line assembly being disposed relative to said image acquisition assembly such that said image belt is within said light line belt, said light line assembly being further configured such that a light intensity is substantially uniform along said image belt; and a computing unit coupled to said image acquisition assembly configured to receive image data for a plurality of image belts acquired by said image acquisition assembly as said bar moves along said longitudinal axis, said computing unit being further configured to process said image data to detect predetermined surface features of said bar, wherein said image acquisition assembly includes n digital cameras, where n is an integer 3 or greater, arranged so that a combined field of view thereof corresponds to said image belt, wherein said light line assembly includes a plurality of line light sources each projecting light beams at a first predetermined angle relative to a normal line from the surface of the bar onto which said light beams impinge, and wherein respective principal axes of said cameras are disposed at a second predetermined angle relative to said normal line, said first and second predetermined angles being equal.