Multifunction all in one capture station for creating identification documents

A capture station for use in capturing data for an identification document, the station comprising:

• a camera stand comprising a base, housing and at least one elongated member;
• the housing including an integrated digital camera and lighting device, at least a portion of a front face of the housing defining an aperture sized and arranged to align with an opening of a lens of the camera, at least a portion of the housing surrounding the aperture and being shaped to protect the camera lens;
• the at least one elongated member extending upward from the base and defining a channel extending at least a portion of the elongated member and open to an area external to the interior of the member, the member further defining a plurality of openings spaced along at least a portion of the elongated member to serve as points of attachment of the housing and for adjustably supporting the housing and at least one peripheral at a desired height above the base, the channel configured to receive at least a portion of one or more wires that operatively couple a computer, integrated into the base, to the digital camera and/or the at least one peripheral device;
• the computer including a processor, network interface device, and memory, the memory storing a camera control program and a network interface program for transferring camera control commands and image data between the capture station and a remote workstation so that the capture station can operate under the control of the remote workstation to capture data for incorporation into an identification document;
• and
• the housing further defining at least one routing opening positioned and sized to align and mate with an upper portion of the at least one channel when the housing and the at least one member are assembled, such that, the routing opening receives at least a portion of each of the one or more wires to permit operative connection to the camera and/or the at least one peripheral device.

A capture station comprising:

• a camera stand, a digital camera mounted within the camera stand and integrated with a lighting system, the camera stand having one or more elongated support members to which a capture element can be fixedly coupled, the one or more elongated support members each defining a channel extending at least a portion of the elongated support member, at least one channel being open to an area external to the interior of the member, the at least one channel configured to receive at least a portion of one or more wires that operatively couple the camera and the capture element;
• the camera stand further including a housing for containing the digital camera and the lighting system;
• the one or more elongated support members further defining a plurality of openings spaced along at least a portion of the elongated support members to serve as points of attachment of the housing in the channels and for adjustably mounting the housing in one or more openings and to enable a height adjustment of the camera;
• and
• the housing defining at least one routing opening positioned and sized to align and mate with an upper portion of the at least one channel when the housing and the respective member are connected, such that, the routing opening receives a portion of each of the one or more wires.