Digitizing scanner
US6606171B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 9, 1997 |
| Grant date | Aug 12, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 9, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N2201/0412
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A digitizing scanner particularly for scanning transparent films such as X-rays provides an improved illuminator for transmitting light through the film. The illuminator defines a line array of a plurality of individually calibrated and controlled LEDs. The LEDs are calibrated by determining their relative points of projection on a CCD camera array. The camera array scans the LEDs and adjusts them individually to produce a predetermined illumination pattern from the group. The adjustment occurs over a plurality of cycles that address cross-talk between LEDs in the array. The camera includes anti-reflection elements to minimize bounce-back of image light and noise suppression circuitry to reduce low-level signal noise. A central processing unit, interconnected with the camera assembly includes a pixel averager to reduce the inherent resolution of the CCD to a desired level and to attenuate further noise. The scanner can include an illuminator for illuminating a scannable opaque bar-code strip and size-measurement circuitry for determining the relative size and location of the scanned image.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.