METHOD OF AND SYSTEM FOR PRODUCING DIGITAL IMAGES OF OBJECTS WITH SUBTANTIALLY REDUCED SPECKLE-NOISE PATTERNS BY ILLUMINATING SAID OBJECTS WITH SPATIALLY AND/OR TEMPORALLY COHERENT-REDUCED PLANAR LASER ILLUMINATION
US6830189B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 15, 2001 |
| Grant date | Dec 14, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 1, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S5/02325
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Methods of and systems for illuminating objects using planar laser illumination beams having substantially-planar spatial distribution characteristics that extend through the field of view (FOV) of image formation and detection modules employed in such systems. Each planar laser illumination beam is produced from a planar laser illumination beam array (PLIA) comprising an plurality of planar laser illumination modules (PLIMs). Each PLIM comprises a visible laser diode (VLD, a focusing lens, and a cylindrical optical element arranged therewith. The individual planar laser illumination beam components produced from each PLIM are optically combined to produce a composite substantially planar laser illumination beam having substantially uniform power density characteristics over the entire spatial extend thereof and thus the working range of the system. Preferably, each planar laser illumination beam component is focused so that the minimum beam width thereof occurs at a point or plane which is the farthest or maximum object distance at which the system is designed to acquire images, thereby compensating for decreases in the power density of the incident planar laser illumination beam …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.