Patent Document ID: 20020139920
Application ID: 09938467
Patent Status: 0

Claim One:
1. A method for generating an image of a target surface, comprising the steps of: outputting a beam of light along a scan path relative to an optical axis; focusing the beam onto a target surface being scanned, wherein at a given time the beam is focused to impinge on a spot of the target, the spot being an illuminated spot, the illuminated spot varying with time as the beam is scanned onto the target surface; detecting light returning from the target surface responsive to the output beam of light with a plurality of detectors, each one of the plurality of detectors having a respective location relative to the optical axis, wherein the returning light is detected concurrently at the plurality of detectors; acquiring a plurality of concurrent images with the plurality of detectors; wherein the plurality of concurrent images have a common apparent viewpoint based upon a common light beam being used to generate the returning light, the common light beam being said output beam of light; wherein each one image of the plurality of concurrent images has a differing apparent lighting direction, the apparent lighting direction for a given one image of the plurality of images being based upon the respective location of a corresponding one or more detectors of the plurality of detectors used to acquire said given one image; and processing the plurality of concurrent images to derive an output image of the target surface, including relative depth information based upon the differing apparent lighting direction from each one image of the plurality of concurrent images.