Automated page turning apparatus to assist in viewing pages of a document

An apparatus that enables acquisition of page images, comprising:

• a base for supporting the operative assemblies and components of the apparatus;
• a cradle assembly having a first cradle half and a second cradle half;
• and
• a page turning assembly for presenting the pages to be imaged seriatim, said page turning assembly including a pivotable and translatable vacuum head for attaching to a page and turning the page;
• wherein each of the cradle halves of the cradle assembly comprises a cradle base joined to a book support plate by a linkage, each cradle half further having a clamp, and a drive motor suitably operatively coupled to the book support plate, such that operation of the drive motor displaces the book support plate in an arcuate manner relative to the cradle base;
• and
• wherein the support plates of the first and second cradle halves are joined by a flexible web of material.

A method of reading a document comprising securing the document in a cradle assembly having support plates, the document being opened to a selected first and second pages;

• adjusting the position of the document by displacing at least one support plate in an arcuate manner such that at least one of the first and second pages are entirely within the field of view of at least one image acquisition device;
• holding the at least one page in position for a period of time;
• displacing at least the outer edge of the second page from contact with subsequent adjacent pages;
• temporarily placing a vacuum head proximate to at least a portion of the surface of the second page;
• acquiring the second page with the vacuum head;
• turning the second page about its line of contact with the binding of the document until the printed surface of the second page is substantially congruent with the printed surface of the first page;
• and releasing the second page from the vacuum head.

A method of reading a document comprising:

• securing the document in a cradle assembly having book support plates, the document being opened to selected first and second pages;
• flattening at least one of the first and second pages of the document, securing at least one of the first and second pages of the document with at least one page clamping device such that said at least one page is within the field of view and focal plane of at least one image acquisition device;
• adjusting the position of the document by displacing at least one book support plate in an arcuate manner such that at least one of the first and second pages are entirely within the field of view of at least one image acquisition device;
• holding the at least one page in position for a period of time;
• releasing the page clamping device;
• displacing at least the outer edge of the second page from contact with subsequent adjacent pages;
• temporarily placing a vacuum head proximate to at least a portion of the surface of the second page;
• acquiring the second page with the vacuum head;
• turning the second page about an edge thereof until the printed surface of the second page is substantially congruent with the printed surface of the first page;
• and
• releasing the second page from the vacuum head.

A cradle apparatus for adjustably supporting a document as pages of the document are turned, comprising:

• a first cradle half and a second cradle half, wherein each of the cradle halves further include a cradle base joined to a book support plate by a linkage;
• a drive motor, operatively coupled to the book support plates, such that operation of the drive motor displaces the book support plates in an arcuate manner relative to the cradle base;
• and
• wherein the support plates of the first and second cradle halves are joined by a flexible web of material.