Multiple camera automatic digitizer and method

A system for digitizing an item, said digitizing comprising in combination:

• (a) first and second video cameras;
• (b) first means for operating a first video camera to effect producing camera coordinates of first and second alignment points in the field of view of said first video camera and to effect producing a first plurality of camera coordinates of a third alignment point, said third alignment point also being in the field of view of a second video camera;
• (c) second means for operating said second video camera to effect producing a second group of camera coordinates of said third alignment point, and to effect producing camera coordinates of a fourth alignment point in the field of view of said second video camera;
• (d) third means for computing skew corrected coordinates of said first alignment point from said camera coordinates of said first and second alignment points, said skew corrected coordinates of said first alignment point being referenced to a boundary of a skew corrected camera plane of said first video camera;
• (e) fourth means for computing a first plurality of skew corrected coodinates of said third alignment point from said camera coordinates of said third alignment point and said skew corrected coordinates of said first alignment point, said skew corrected coordinates of said third alignment point being referenced to said first alignment point;
• (f) fifth means for computing skew corrected, offset corrected coordinates of said third alignment point from both said skew corrected coordinates of said third alignment point and an offset number representing the distance of a boundary of a document plane to the boundary of said skew corrected camera plane of said first video camera, said skew corrected, offset corrected coordinates of said third alignment point being referenced to the boundary of said document plane;
• (g) sixth means for computing a second plurality of skew corrected coordinates of said third alignment point from said second group of camera coordinates of said third alignment point and said camera coordinates of said fourth alignment point, said second plurality of skew corrected coordinates of said third alignment point being referenced to a boundary of a skew corrected plane of said second video camera;
• (h) seventh means for operating said second video camera to effect producing of camera coordinates of a general point in the field of view of said second video camera;
• (i) eighth means for computing skew coordinates of said general point from said camera coordinates of said general point and said second plurality of skew corrected coordinates of said third alignment point, said skew corrected coordinates of said general point being referenced to said third alignment point;
• (j) ninth means for computing skew corrected, offset corrected coordinates of said general point from said skew corrected coordinates of said general point and said skew corrected, offset corrected coordinates of said third alignment point, said skew corrected, offset corrected coordinates of said general point being referenced to said boundary of said document plane;
• and
• (k) means for outputting said skew corrected, offset corrected coordinates of said general point as a digitized value representing the location of said general point on said item to be digitized.