A
system and method for simultaneously obtaining a plurality of images of an object or pattern from a plurality of different
viewpoints is provided. In an exemplary embodiment, proper
image contrast is obtained by replacing the light sources of earlier systems with equivalent
light sensitive devices and replacing the cameras of earlier systems with equivalent light sources. With such a
system, bright-field images and dark-field images may be simultaneously obtained. In one aspect of the invention, a
light source is positioned to illuminate at least a portion of an object. A plurality of light guides having input ends are positioned to simultaneously receive light reflected from the object and transmit the received light to a plurality of photodetectors. The light guides are arranged such that their respective input ends are spaced substantially equally along at least a portion of a surface of an imaginary hemisphere surrounding the object. The signals generated by the photodetectors (as a result of
light detection) are processed and a plurality of images of the object are formed. Another aspect of the invention provides a method for generating composite images from simultaneously obtained images. Equivalent regions of each image (corresponding to geographically identical subpictures) are compared. The subpicture having the highest entropy is selected and stored. This process continues until all subpictures have been considered. A new composite picture is generated by pasting together the selected subpictures. In another aspect of the invention, the vector of relative light values gathered for each pixel or region of an object illuminated or scanned (i.e., one value for each
photodetector) is used to determine
reflectance properties of points or regions illuminated on the object or pattern. The
reflectance properties may be stored in a matrix and the matrix used to read, for example, a Bar Code of a
data matrix symbol.