Image illumination and capture in a scanning device
View Patent ↗Scanning devices and method of use that permit the capture of high resolution images of an original that is illuminated by a light source that is located outside of the optical field of view of an image detector. In one aspect, the image detector may be a monochrome sensor that sequentially captures different color plane images of an original that is illuminated by different colors. The different color plane images may be processed to generate a full color copy of the original. Light and images may be directed through tapered optical waveguides to minimize the volume of the scanning device. The image detector may include a first associated waveguide while the light source may include a second associated waveguide.
1. A scanning device comprising:
a target bed;
a monochrome imaging unit for capturing in a single image an entire document placed on the target bed;
a light source for illuminating the entire document placed on the target bed, the light source include a plurality of individually selectable colors;
a controller for controlling the light source to illuminate the entire document placed on the target bed sequentially in each of the plurality of individually selectable colors, the controller further controlling the imaging unit to capture in a single color plane image the entire document for each of the individually selectable colors, and processing the captured color plane images of the entire document to produce a full color duplicate of the entire document, wherein the controller accesses a color table with pixel intensities from the captured color plane images of the entire document as input values, the color table including corresponding color information needed to construct the full color duplicate of the document.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the individually selectable colors comprise red, green, and blue.
3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the light source includes an array of red, green, and blue LEDs.
4. The device of claim 3 , wherein each of the array of red, green, and blue LEDs includes a variable intensity that is individually adjustable.
5. The device of claim 3 , the array of red, green, and blue LEDs includes approximately twice as many red LEDs as green and blue LEDs.
6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the light source is disposed at an acute angle relative to the target bed.
7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the light source further comprises a diffuse reflector oriented to project light from the light source onto the target bed.
8. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a reflective member positioned between the imaging unit and the target bed.
9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the imaging unit further comprises an associated first slab waveguide configured to receive the single image of the entire document into a first tapered face of the first slab, the image propagating through the waveguide from the first tapered face to a first thick end of the first slab after internal reflection within the first slab.
10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the light source further comprises an associated tapered second slab waveguide configured to receive light from the light source into a second thick end of the second slab, the light propagating through the waveguide from the second thick end of the second slab and emerging from a second tapered face of the second slab after internal reflection within the second slab.
11. A method of scanning a document with a scanning device, the method comprising the steps of:
placing the document on a target bed;
illuminating the entire document using a first light source that includes a first color;
capturing a first single color plane image of the entire document that is illuminated by the first color;
illuminating the entire document using a second light source that includes a second color;
capturing a second single color plane image of the entire document that is illuminated by the second color; and
processing the captured first and second color plane images and generating a full color duplicate of the document by accessing a color table with pixel intensities from the captured first and second color plane images as input values, and reading color information needed to construct the full color duplicate of the document.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising illuminating the entire document using a third light source that includes a third color and capturing a third single color plane image of the entire document that is illuminated by the third color and processing the captured first, second and third color plane images and generating a full color duplicate of the document.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first, second, and third colors comprise red, green, and blue.
14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising individually controlling the intensity of the first and second light sources.
15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising diffusing the light from the first and second light sources.
16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the steps of illuminating the entire document comprise propagating light from the first and second light sources through a tapered slab waveguide.
17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the steps of capturing the color plane images of the entire document comprise propagating the color plane images through a tapered slab waveguide.
18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the steps of capturing the color plane images of the entire document comprise capturing the color plane images with a monochrome image sensor.