Patent ID: 8085295

Claim:
A method for providing illumination for a microscopic machine vision inspection system, the microscopic machine vision inspection system comprising a connection element that mechanically receives and holds a micro light interface assembly and that electrically connects to the micro light interface assembly, and an imaging system including an objective lens comprising an objective lens barrel, wherein the objective lens has an outer dimension DBAR across a cross-section of the objective lens barrel approximately perpendicular to an optical axis of the objective lens, and the objective lens has a working distance WD between an end of the objective lens barrel and a plane of best focus, the method comprising: providing a micro light interface assembly including a micro light assembly comprising a plurality of addressable light emitting elements arranged around at least a portion of the periphery of an image light transmission aperture having a minimum aperture dimension DAPMIN that is smaller than the outer dimension DBAR of the objective lens, wherein the dimension DAPMIN is the diameter of an inscribed circle that is fit to the boundary of the image light transmission aperture; connecting the micro light interface assembly to the connection element mechanically and electrically; positioning the micro light assembly such that the optical axis passes through the image light transmission aperture and at least some of the plurality of addressable light emitting elements are positioned within a first volume defined by an intersection between the working distance WD and a projection of the cross section of the objective lens barrel along the direction of the optical axis; and controlling the micro light assembly such that at least one respective addressable light emitting element that is located within the first volume is selected and operated to illuminate a field of view of the imaging system at the plane of best focus along at least one of a corresponding respective angle of incidence relative to the optical axis and a corresponding respective azimuthal angle about the optical axis.