Digital image capturing and processing system employing automatic object detection and spectral-mixing based illumination techniques

A digital image capturing and processing system comprising:

• a system housing having an imaging window;
• an area-type illumination and imaging module disposed within said system housing, for projecting a coextensive area-type illumination and imaging field through said imaging window into a 3D imaging volume during object illumination and imaging operations;
• wherein said area-type illumination and imaging module includes
• (i) an image formation and detection (IFD) subsystem having an image sensing array and optics providing a field of view (FOV) on said image sensing array and extending into said 3D imaging volume;
• (ii) a spectral-mixing based illumination subsystem producing a first field of visible illumination from an array of visible light emitting diodes (LEDs), and producing a second field of invisible illumination from an array of infrared (IR) LEDs;
• wherein said first and second fields of illumination spatially overlap and intermix with each other to produce a composite illumination field that is at least substantially coextensive with said FOV;
• (iii) an illumination control subsystem for controlling the relative power ratio of visible illumination and invisible illumination (VIS/IR) during system operation;
• and
• (iv) an image capturing and buffering subsystem for capturing and buffering digital images of the illuminated object detected by said image sensing array;
• a digital image processing subsystem for automatically processing said buffered digital images so as to read one or more 1D and/or 2D code symbols graphically represented in said digital images;
• an automatic object detection subsystem for automatically detecting an object moving through said 3D imaging volume, and generating signals indicative of said detected object motion;
• and
• a control subsystem, responsive to said signals generated by said automatic object detection subsystem, for controlling and/or orchestrating the operations of the subsystems within said area-type illumination and imaging module.