Rolling-reset imager

A method for capturing an image of a moving object comprising:

• setting a minimum frame rate for a rolling-reset imager based on at least a velocity of the moving target, the rolling-reset imager including sensor pixels;
• operating the rolling-reset imager on a rolling-reset basis to create frames having substantially all the sensor pixels in an exposed state, the frames created at a frame rate of at least the minimum frame rate;
• pulsing an illumination source during each frame to produce pulsed illumination, where the pulsed illumination has a duration and the duration defines an exposure time for capturing the image of the moving object;
• reflecting ambient illumination and the pulsed illumination off the moving object;
• and
• forming a pixelized electronic representation of the moving object on a rolling-reset basis substantially during the exposure time and substantially using the pulsed illumination reflected off the moving object;
• and
• wherein the rolling-reset imager has a field of view with a width extending in the direction the object moves, the object has a width in the direction the object moves, and the minimum frame rate is based on the velocity at which the object moves, the width of the field of view in the direction the object moves, and the width of the object in the direction the object moves.

An imaging system comprising:

• a rolling-reset imager having a field of view, the field of view including a width extending in a direction that a moving object moves, the rolling-reset imager forming an image of the moving object on a rolling-reset basis when the object moves through the width of the field of view extending in the direction the object moves, the rolling-reset imager including image sensor pixels, the rolling-reset imager having a minimum frame rate based on at least a velocity at which the object moves;
• wherein the moving object includes multiple elements, where there is a minimum width in the direction the object moves defined by at least one of the elements;
• a light source illuminating the object with pulsed light having an illumination frequency spectrum and an illumination pulse width, the pulse width defining an effective exposure time for forming the image of the object;
• and
• the illumination pulse width is based on the result of dividing the minimum element width in the direction the object moves by the velocity of the object.

An imaging system comprising:

• a rolling-reset imager having a field of view, the field of view including a width extending in a direction that a moving object moves, the rolling-reset imager forming an image of the moving object on a rolling-reset basis when the object moves through the width of the field of view extending in the direction the object moves, the rolling-reset imager including image sensor pixels, the rolling-reset imager having a minimum frame rate based on at least a velocity at which the object moves;
• and
• a light source illuminating the object with pulsed light having an illumination frequency spectrum and an illumination pulse width, the pulse width defining an effective exposure time for forming the image of the object;
• and
• wherein the minimum frame rate is further based on the width of the field of view in the direction the object moves, and the width of the object in the direction the object moves.