Digital image capturing and processing system for producing and projecting a plurality of coextensive area-type illumination and imaging zones into a 3D imaging volume and controlling illumination control parameters in said system using the detected motion of objects present therewithin

An automatic digital image capturing and processing system for use in point of sale (POS) environments, comprising a plurality of coextensive area-type illumination and imaging stations, an object motion detection subsystem, a digital image capturing and buffering subsystem, a digital image processing subsystem, and a control subsystem, each being disposed in a system housing having an imaging window. Each coextensive area-type illumination and imaging station has an area-type imaging array having optics providing a field of view (FOV) on the area-type imaging array that projects into a 3D imaging volume definable relative to the imaging window. Each coextensive area-type illumination and imaging station also has an array of light emitting devices configured together to produce an area-type field of illumination that is coextensive area-type with the FOV of the area-type imaging array, and thereby providing a coextensive area-type illumination and imaging zone that projects through the imaging window and into the 3D imaging volume, for capturing a series of area-type digital images of an object intersecting therewith during system operation. During system operation, the object detection subsystem automatically detects the motion of objects moving through the 3D imaging volume, and generates motion data which is used by the control subsystem to control at least one illumination control parameter associated with the production of the area-type fields of illumination produced from the coextensive area-type illumination and imaging stations, during system operation. The coextensive area-type illumination and imaging zones intersect within the 3D imaging volume for digital imaging of objects passing through the 3D imaging volume.