Arrangement for and method of controlling image exposure in an imaging reader

An arrangement for controlling image exposure in an imaging reader for reading symbols, comprising:

• means for illuminating a symbol with illumination light;
• means for capturing return light from the symbol over a field of view;
• and
• means for successively exposing the capturing means over a first exposure time period to capture the return light from, and to optimally image, a first area of the symbol, and over a second exposure time period to capture the return light from, and to optimally image, a second area of the symbol, the first and the second areas having different light intensity levels, the first and the second exposure time periods being different in duration, and means for combining the optimally imaged first and second areas to read the symbol.

A method of controlling image exposure in an imaging reader for reading symbols, comprising the steps of:

• illuminating a symbol with illumination light;
• capturing return light from the symbol over a field of view of a solid-state imager;
• successively exposing the imager over a first exposure time period to capture the return light from, and to optimally image, a first area of the symbol, and over a second exposure time period to capture the return light from, and to optimally image, a second area of the symbol, the first and the second areas having different light intensity levels, the first and the second exposure time periods being different in duration;
• and
• combining the optimally imaged first and second areas to read the symbol.