Patent ID: 7190495

Claim:
A flatbed scanner comprising: a housing having a length extending along a first axis y, having a scan width, W extending along a second axis x and a height extending along a third axis z, the y, x, and z axes being orthogonal to each other; a platen positioned along said housing; a first rail positioned inside the housing and extending along the y axis; a second rail positioned inside of the housing, parallel to the first rail and extending along the y axis; a first carriage mounted on at least one of the first and second rails; a second carriage mounted on at least one of the first and second rails; a first motor operatively connected to the first carriage and adapted to reciprocate the first carriage along the y axis; a second motor operatively connected to the second carriage and adapted to reciprocate the second carriage along the y axis; a first mirror, a second mirror, a third mirror and a fourth mirror positioned on said first carriage, the fourth minor positioned 45° to the y axis, said first, second, third and fourth mirrors adapted and positioned to provide a path of light from along a scan line of said platen to a lens; said lens and an optical sensor having n pixels positioned on said second carriage; and, computer implemented software adapted to cause the first carriage to advance in increments of W/2n, and for each advance of W/2n of the first carriage to cause the second carriage to advance a distance of W/2n, whereby the resolution of said scanner is increased to 2n/W.