Digital image capture and processing system having automatic illumination measurement and control capabilities realized using a photodetector operating independently of the image sensing array, and an image-processing based illumination metering program for automatically adjusting the illumination duration of the system during object illumination and imaging operations

A digital image capture and processing system comprising:

• a housing having a light transmission window;
• an image formation and detection subsystem having an image sensing array and image formation optics having a field of view (FOV) defined relative to said light transmission window;
• a trigger even generation mechanism, disposed in said housing, for automatically detecting the presence of an object within said FOV;
• an illumination subsystem, disposed in said housing, and having with an LED-based illumination array for producing a field of illumination with said FOV during object illumination and imaging operations;
• an illumination measurement subsystem, disposed in said housing, and including a photodetector, operating independently from said image sensing array, for measuring the level of illumination at a particular region of said FOV during object illumination and imaging operations, and determining and storing an illumination duration necessary to achieve a desired spatial intensity in a digital image to be formed and detected by said information and detection subsystem;
• an illumination control subsystem, disposed in said housing, and using said illumination duration determined by said illumination measurement subsystem so as to control the time duration that said LED-based illumination array is driven during object illumination and imaging operations;
• a programmed image processor, disposed in said housing, for supporting an image-processing based illumination metering program, as well as processing of digital images formed and detected by said image formation and detection subsystem so as to read or acquire information graphically represented in said digital images;
• and
• a system control subsystem, disposed in said housing, for controlling and/or coordinating the operations of said subsystems and components identified above.