Capturing real-time video with zooming capability and scanning high resolution still images of documents using the same apparatus

A method of acquiring an image of a target to provide an output video image comprising a plurality of frame images, the method comprising:

• connecting a slave digital image sensing unit to a master personal processor, the master personal processor receiving a series of frame images from the slave digital image sensing unit;
• using the master personal processor to manipulate the series of frame images, including zooming in or out without changing resolution of the frame images, wherein the manipulation of the series of frame images is executed in response to a user request in real time;
• identifying a first resolution for the received plurality of frame images;
• identifying a second resolution for the reference resolution;
• in the case of a manipulated frame image having a higher resolution, as manipulated, than the second resolution, reducing the resolution of the frame image to that of the second resolution;
• in the case of the manipulated frame image having a lower resolution, as manipulated, than the second resolution, using the processor to further manipulate the frame image to reduce pixilation;
• displaying and/or storing the manipulated series of frame images as an output video image without changing the resolution of the manipulated series of frame images,
• wherein the slave digital image sensing unit is removably connected to the master personal processor via a master personal processor port.

A method of acquiring an image of a target comprising:

• determining a reference resolution at which each frame image of a series of frame images will be maintained and storing the reference resolution in a non-transitory medium;
• capturing a video image comprising the series of frame images in one instantaneous snapshot of a subject's entire surface area without line-by-line scanning and using an external processor to compare a resolution of each frame image of the video image with the reference resolution and adjusting the resolution of each frame image to correspond to the reference resolution;
• and
• after comparing the resolution of each frame image, storing and/or displaying in real-time each frame image on a display.

A document imaging apparatus comprising

• a personal computer containing a software programming unit;
• a miniaturized digital image sensing unit externally coupled to the personal computer comprising optics having an infinite focal length;
• wherein the personal computer is configured to control all actions of the miniaturized digital image sensing unit and cause the digital imaging unit to zoom in or zoom out in real-time while maintaining a resolution of a series of real-time images;
• in the case of the resolution of the series of real-time images having a higher resolution than a reference resolution, reducing the resolution of each of the series of real-time images to that of the reference resolution;
• a display for displaying the images;
• and
• a suspension arm for supporting the digital imaging unit at a distance from a target to be imaged.