Patent ID: 7533820

Claim:
A digital image capturing and processing system comprising: a system housing having an imaging window; a plurality of coplanar illumination and imaging stations, disposed within said system housing, and wherein each said coplanar illumination and imaging station includes (i) an array of planar illumination modules (PLIMs) for producing a substantially planar illumination beam (PLIB), wherein each said PLIM includes at least one illumination source and optics for producing said PLIB, and (ii) a linear image detection array having a field of view (FOV) on said linear image detection array and extending in substantially the same plane as said PLIB, and providing a coplanar illumination and imaging plane (PLIB/FOV) that is projected through a 3D imaging volume defined relative to said imaging window, for capturing linear (1D) digital images of the object passing therethrough, for subsequent processing and recognition of information graphically represented in said linear digital images; and an automatic object motion detection subsystem, disposed within said system housing, for automatically determining when and where an object is being moved through said 3D imaging volume; and a control subsystem for selectively activating illumination sources in only those PLIMs in particular coplanar illumination and imaging stations and when an object is being moved within the FOV thereof, so as to minimize the illumination of human beings who might be present along the lines of projected coplanar illumination and imaging planes during the operation of said system.