Led-based planar light illumination and imaging (PLIIM) systems

A planar light illumination and imaging (PLIIM) based system with automatic light beam power density compensation, said PLIIM based system comprising:

• an image formation and detection module having a field of view (FOV) focused at an image detecting array;
• and
• a planar light illumination array (PLIA) having a plurality of planar light illumination modules, for producing a composite planar light illumination beam having substantially-planar spatial distribution characteristics that extend through the field of view (FOV) of said image formation and detection module, so that light reflected off an object illuminated by said composite planar light illumination beam is focused along said field of view and onto said image detecting array to form an image of said illuminated object;
• wherein each said planar light illumination module comprises a visible light emitting diode (LED), a focusing lens, and a cylindrical optical element arranged therewith to produce a planar light illumination beam component of said composite planar light illumination beam;
• and
• wherein said composite planar light illumination beam has a beam width which increases as a function of increasing object distance in said PLIIM based system;
• and
• wherein the height of said composite planar light illumination beam decreases as the object distance increases, compensating for the increase in beam width in said composite planar light illumination beam which occurs for an increase in object distance,
• thereby yielding a light beam power density on the target object which increases as a function of increasing object distance over a substantial portion of the object distance range of said PLIIM bases system.