Abstract: Distinct designs are provided to reduce dimensions of an image sensing module without affecting the sizes of the original individual components in the image sensing module. According to one embodiment, a mirror is mounted before an optical focus system and used to collect and redirect reflected light from a scanning object being illuminated by an illumination source in the image sensing module, wherein the scanning object is parallel to the optical focus system.

Abstract: An image sensor employing multiple arrays of photodetectors is disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, every two of three arrays are shielded with a non-transparent material. When charge signals are generated in the non-shielded array in response to light reflected from a scanning document illuminated by one of three colored lights, the charge signals are shifted to a next adjacent shielded array so that another set of charge signals can be generated under another one of the three colored lights. Essentially, the shielded arrays are used as buffers to separate the charge signals independently generated under three different colored lights. Subsequently, the charge signals corresponding to the same colored light can be accumulated to produce a much stronger scanning signal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing images in 2-D scanners are disclosed. According to one aspect of the system, a series of images are successively generated from a sensing module in a scanner as the scanner is moving across a scanning document. A first image is initially kept in a memory. When a second image becomes available, an overlapping between the first image and the second image is located. From the overlapping, it is to determine if the stored first image is precisely registered with the second image. If the two images are registered, a signal-to-noise enhanced image is obtained by averaging the two images. If the two images are not registered, a combined image is obtained by combining the two images. Either the signal-to-noise enhanced image or the combined image is then stored in the memory to work with the next image. The process is repeated till all the images are processed. As a result, a signal-to-noise enhanced image or a combined image representing the entire document is produced.

Abstract: An image sensor employing multiple arrays of photodetectors is disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, every two of three arrays are shielded with a non-transparent material. When charge signals are generated in the non-shielded array in response to light reflected from a scanning document illuminated by one of three colored lights, the charge signals are shifted to a next adjacent shielded array so that another set of charge signals can be generated under another one of the three colored lights. Essentially, the shielded arrays are used as buffers to separate the charge signals independently generated under three different colored lights. Subsequently, the charge signals corresponding to the same colored light can be accumulated to produce a much stronger scanning signal.