Methods for camera-based inspections

1 . A method comprising a plurality of activities, comprising:

illuminating an object via:

at least one set of low angle lights mounted on a substantially domed-shaped diffuser, said diffuser defining a camera lens hole in a top portion of said diffuser; and

a plurality of bright field diffuse lights mounted on said diffuser in close proximity to said camera lens hole; and

capturing an image of said object via a camera coupled to a lens positioned in said camera lens hole of said diffuser.

2 . A method comprising:

illuminating an object via:

at least one set of low angle lights mounted on a substantially domed-shaped diffuser, the diffuser defining a camera lens hole in a top portion of the diffuser, the camera lens hole adapted to allow light reflected from the object to reach a camera lens; and

a plurality of bright field lights mounted on the diffuser in close proximity to the camera lens hole.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

supporting the camera lens via the diffuser.

4 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

coupling the camera lens to the diffuser.

5 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

positioning the camera lens to receive light traveling through the camera lens hole of the diffuser.

6 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

positioning the object to reflect light incident thereon into the camera lens hole of the diffuser.

7 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

positioning the diffuser to receive light reflected from the object into the camera lens hole of the diffuser.

8 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

illuminating the object via at least one set of dome lights mounted to the diffuser and adapted to substantially face an interior surface of said diffuser.

9 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

selectively de-energizing at least one of:

a low angle light from the at least one set of low angle lights; and

a bright field light from the plurality of bright field lights.

10 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

automatically de-energizing at least one of:

a low angle light from the at least one set of low angle lights; and

a bright field light from the plurality of bright field lights.

11 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

capturing an image of the object via a camera coupled to the camera lens.

12 . The method of claim 2 , wherein:

the plurality of bright field lights substantially encircle the camera lens hole.

13 . The method of claim 2 , wherein:

the plurality of bright field lights are light emitting diodes.

14 . The method of claim 2 , wherein:

the diffuser is formed substantially in the shape of a truncated 4-sided pyramid.

15 . The method of claim 2 , wherein:

the diffuser is formed substantially in the shape of a truncated circular cone.

16 . The method of claim 2 , wherein:

each low angle light in the set of low angle lights is mounted at a location on the diffuser adjacent a thinned diffuser wall.

17 . The method of claim 2 , wherein:

each of the low angle lights is comprised of at least one light emitting diode.

18 . The method of claim 2 , wherein:

the camera lens is mounted substantially co-axially with the camera lens hole, the camera lens attached to a camera.

19 . The method of claim 2 , wherein:

the diffuser is textured and diffusely reflective.

20 . A method comprising:

automatically illuminating an object via at least two lighting sources selected from:

a bright field light mounted on a top portion of a substantially domed-shaped diffuser and in close proximity to a camera lens hole defined through the top portion of the diffuser, the camera lens hole adapted to allow light reflected from the object to reach a camera lens;

a low angle light mounted on the diffuser and adapted to substantially face an interior zone of the diffuser; and

a dome light mounted to the diffuser and adapted to substantially face an interior surface of the diffuser.