Multi-source illuminator

A system for providing illumination for a scanner, the system comprising:

• an optical receiving system that receives light;
• an illuminator that comprises:
• a first optical lens subsystem positioned in proximity to the optical receiving system, wherein the first optical lens subsystem corresponds to a plurality of first light emitting components that project one or more first light beams through the first optical lens subsystem;
• and
• a second optical lens subsystem positioned in proximity to the optical receiving system, wherein the second optical lens subsystem corresponds to a plurality of second light emitting components that project one or more second light beams through the second optical lens subsystem;
• a first subset of the plurality of first light emitting components being offset relative to a center of the first optical lens subsystem, wherein the first subset of the plurality of first light emitting components projects a first subset of the one or more first light beams such that the first subset of the one or more first light beams illuminate a field of view (FoV) of the scanner that is at a location between a near field and a far field, wherein an irradiance at the FoV is within a range for all locations between the near field and the far field, wherein a first optically active surface of the first optical lens subsystem is positioned in front of the plurality of first light emitting components;
• and
• a second subset of the plurality of second light emitting components being offset relative to a center of the second optical lens subsystem, wherein the second subset of the plurality of second light emitting components projects a second subset of the one or more second light beams such that the second subset of the one or more second light beams illuminate the FoV that is at the location between the near field and the far field, wherein the irradiance at the FoV is within the range for all locations between the near field and the far field, and wherein a first optically active surface of the second optical lens subsystem is positioned in front of the plurality of second light emitting components,
• wherein each of a second optically active surface of the first optical lens subsystem and a second optically active surface of the second optical lens subsystem collimates the light to focus in the FoV.

A scanner comprising:

• an optical receiving system;
• a plurality of light emitting components that project a plurality of light beams;
• an illuminator that comprises at least one optical lens subsystem positioned in proximity to the optical receiving system, wherein the at least one optical lens subsystem corresponds to the plurality of light emitting components;
• a first subset of the plurality of light emitting components comprising one or more light emitting components being offset relative to a center of the at least one optical lens subsystem;
• and
• the first subset of the plurality of light emitting components projects a first subset of light beams such that the subset of the light beams illuminates a field of view (FoV) that is at a location between a near field and a far field, wherein an irradiance at the FoV is within a range for all distances for the FoV,
• wherein a first optically active surface of the at least one optical lens subsystem is positioned in front of the one or more light emitting components, and
• wherein the first optically active surface of the at least one optical lens subsystem includes a plurality of portions that have different curvatures to concentrate light at different locations between the near field and the far field.

A method for providing illumination for a scanner, the method comprising:

• receiving light by an optical receiving system;
• positioning an illuminator that comprises a first optical lens subsystem and a second optical lens subsystem in proximity to the optical receiving system, wherein the first optical lens subsystem corresponds to a plurality of first light emitting components that project a plurality of first light beams, and the second optical lens subsystem corresponds to a plurality of second light emitting components that project a plurality of second light beams;
• offsetting a first subset of the plurality of first light emitting components relative to a center of the first optical lens subsystem;
• offsetting a second subset of the plurality of second light emitting components relative to a center of the second optical lens subsystem;
• projecting by the first subset of the plurality of first light emitting components, a first subset of the plurality of first light beams such that the first subset of the plurality of first light beams illuminate a field of view (FoV) that is at a location between a near field and a far field, wherein an irradiance at the FoV is within a range for all locations between the near field and the far field;
• and
• projecting by the second subset of the plurality of second light emitting components, a second subset of the plurality of second light beams such that the second subset of the plurality of second light beams illuminate a FoV that is at a location between the near field and the far field, wherein an irradiance at the FoV is within a range for all locations between the near field and the far field.