Abstract: A moving-light indicia reader system including a conveyor 12 carrying parcel 14 bearing a destination address 20. A moving-light illumination source 24 defines a spot 30 that moves at the same speed as the conveyor 12 to assist the positioning of the parcel 14 on the conveyor 12. A scanner 36 and a computer memory 42 of a character recognition system 40 are operated so as to store an image of a region 50 defined-with respect to the moving spot 30 defined by the moving-light illumination source 24. A sensor assembly 32, including a height sensor and reflectivity sensor, is located toward the downstream end of the moving-light illumination source 24. The scanner 32 is focused in response to height data from the height sensor, and the gain of the scanner 32 is adjusted in response to reflectivity data from the reflectivity sensor, so that the scanner 32 generates a clear image of the top of the parcel 14 at the location of the spot 30 as the parcel 14 passes beneath the scanner 32.

Abstract: An unsymmetrical elliptical reflector for spatial illumination. The invention includes a novel reflector and a novel illumination system including the novel reflector. The novel reflector includes first and second, non-symmetrical, elliptical elongate reflector surfaces. The eccentricities of the first and second reflector surfaces are different such that they have common first foci and different conjugate foci. The novel illumination system incorporates the novel reflector and provides intense, focused illumination at two foci positioned at two heights above a conveyor surface. The illumination intensity between the two foci is sufficiently intense to provide adequate illumination of encoded labels carried on package surfaces at heights between the two foci.