Uniform illumination for camera based scanning devices

An imaging apparatus used in conjunction with a processor in a camera system for imaging a document, the imaging apparatus comprising:

• (a) a camera, having a lens-ocular with a predetermined field of view (FOV), said camera configured to acquire a plurality of image frames of at least a portion of the document;
• (b) a camera-chamber, wherein said camera is disposed inside said camera-chamber;
• (c) an enclosed optical-chamber;
• (d) a camera-wall having a camera-face, an optical-face and an ocular-opening formed in said camera-wall at a preconfigured location, said camera-wall being a mutual wall of said optical-chamber and said camera-chamber, wherein said lens-ocular fits inside said ocular-opening, and wherein said optical-face faces said optical-chamber;
• (e) a window-wall positioned opposite to said camera-wall, said window-wall having an internal face and an external face, wherein the document is operatively disposed adjacent to said external face;
• (f) a substantially transparent window integrated into said window-wall, wherein said transparent window is viewed by said FOV of said lens-ocular;
• and
• (g) at least one light source configured to operatively illuminate the document,
• wherein said at least one light source is disposed inside said optical-chamber but outside said FOV of said lens-ocular, thereby said at least one light source cannot directly illuminate said lens-ocular of said camera.